A bright financial future for 4,000 Kenyan pupils

CEDI continues to deliver on its promise of teaching Financial Capability Skills to over 4,000 children in Kenya.On 26th Mar 2021, the Kenyan Government issued a fresh directive to close all learning institutions indefinitely, alongside a raft of other measures to contain the third wave of covid19. Classroom learning, which only resumed in January 2021 after schools were closed for most of 2020, remain suspended again. A similar directive was issued a year ago, disrupting the learning of over 18Million learners countrywide. Most able institutions have had to embrace out of classroom learning through digital platforms, TVs and Radio. While such learning may take place in major urban areas and with well-off schools, for children in remote and resource-strained contexts, learning remains a challenge. This is due to poor network connectivity, internet costs, lack of access to smartphones and electricity.

My Money program therefore had to adapt and engage key stakeholders to ensure that children continue to access quality and basic learning at home. The teachers promoted the recorded lessons to children through links and WhatsApp of parents. Videos were downloaded and disseminated to children. Similarly, the learning materials issued to the schools were effectively used during the period to undertake lessons in community spaces within the community.

Picking up on the formative evaluation, the project launched the formative evaluation report in Kisumu and Migori on 12^th and 13^th of June 2021. The workshop for the Formative Evaluation Report Dissemination was attended by the 4Headteachers, Parents representatives, local clergies, representatives from children departments and ministry of education, at national and county level. Also in attendance were teachers, who have been spearheading the program in their respective schools.

The project’s main activity for this year was conducting a formative assessment to the project. The assessment aimed at understanding the lessons, impact and successes of the project since its inception in 2016. The project therefore had two consultative planning meetings with the 4 Headteachers and My Money coordinators within the first quarter of the year. A consultant to undertake the exercise has already been outsourced, and the exercise was planned for the week of Feb 22, 2021 till the 26^th Feb 2021, in all the 4partner schools. The report was disseminated to the stakeholders present, to get their views and comments, before a report validation process.

From the workshop, the following were some of the notable feedback and comments:

• 78% of the workshop participants expressed appreciation on the values and competencies that My Money toolkit propagated amongst children, and that it strikes a correlation with the recently introduced National CBC curriculum.
• Some Participants called on CEDI to increase the scope of the project by increasing the number of participants.
• Teachers requested Certification for training received from the project since 2016 as part of evidence for their professional and personal development.
• Education officials in Kisumu suggested the My Money infusion into the national CBC Curriculum in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

Moving forward, the meeting participants agreed on two weeks turn around period to study the report and share thoughts and comments on the same. The comments and feedback shall be incorporated into the final version of the report, which shall be validated by all stakeholders, at a date that shall be determined.

Links:

• Twitter Thread on the Final Evaluation Report Workshop

CEDI continues to deliver on its promise of teaching Financial Capability Skills to over 4,000 children in Kenya.In Jan 4, 2021, all the Kenya schools resumed in person learning, barely 9 months after the closure of all learning institutions due to the covid19 pandemic. With much reprieve to students, parents still express concerns over children safety, raising school fees and supporting the psychological adjustments of children to the new normal.

The project’s main activity for this year is conducting a formative assessment to the project. The assessment aims at understanding the lessons, impact and successes of the project since its implementation in 2017. The project therefore had two consultative planning meetings with the 4 Headteachers and My Money coordinators within the first quarter of the year. A consultant to undertake the exercise has already been outsourced, and the exercise is planned on the week of Feb 22, 2021 till the 26^th Feb 2021, in all the 4partner schools.

Meanwhile, My Money Club activities remain on course. Since reopening of schools in Jan 4, 2021, the club members in all the 4 partner schools have had at least 5 club sittings. Some of the key notable issues discussed in the club activities include;

• My Money Club Annual Plan.
• Increasing My Money Club Membership.
• Reviving halted club initiative e.g. My Money garden, My Money Shops, the Arts/Craft shows.

The project continues to engage Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) to disseminate the necessary PPEs to children in the schools. The project has equally developed communication materials and posters to sustain the unending fight on covid19 for children at home and school.

Whereas Covid19 continues to impact individuals and organizations across the world, we still work closely with project stakeholders to navigate the challenges posed by the pandemic. We shall continue to monitor the development and trends of the virus, and keep up to date with WHO and Ministry of Health guidelines. We are well prepared to take necessary steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our staff, project beneficiaries, and their families. Should the virus pandemic increase adversely, as the current models predict, we shall consult project grantors, project beneficiaries, and project stakeholders to creatively adapt the project within the restrictions posed by the pandemic.

Promoting Financial Capability in 4 Public schools: Q3 Progress Note

CEDI continues to deliver on its promise of teaching Financial Capability Skills to over 4,000 children in Kenya.In March 2020 the Kenyan government closed all learning institutions due to covid19, disrupting 18Million learners. However, in Oct 12, 2020, the Ministry of Education announced phased reopening of schools, with 1.6Million Grade 4 Pupils, 1.2Million Standard Eight and 700,000 Form Four candidates are expected to resume in-person classes. This is barely 20% of all the learners. The turnout remains low as parents worry over children safety, raising school fees and buying learning materials. The project therefore continues to support our partner schools in developing and dissemination of virtual lessons to pupils from our partner schools. Through YouTube and parents’ WhatsApp group, we have shared the recorded lessons to ensure continued learning.

The project also conducted an online survey entitled Teachers' perspectives on the impact of covid19 on learning and child safety in Migori and Kisumu Counties. The survey aimed at capturing ‘of the moment’ feedback from teachers. The survey focused on understanding overall confidence in schools' ability to support virtual learning and creating insights into how to better support teachers and pupils during and postcovid19. With 71 responses, the survey uncovered two key themes; bridging the digital literacy gap for continued learning and addressing increased children vulnerabilities.

From the period Oct 26-30, 2020, we had our Child Safety Week on social media to reach parents, caregivers, teachers, and the general public on the need to safeguard children during covid19 pandemic. The hashtag for the activity was #Tuwalinde (lets protect them) and #ChildSafetyWeek on twitter and Facebook. We do realize that safeguarding our beneficiaries is a critical component of our work and more so during this COVID19 period. Our project beneficiaries, who in this case are children are at a higher risk of contracting the virus easily if exposed to it, thus the need for utmost precaution when interacting with them.

We have equally engaged Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) to disseminate the necessary PPEs to reach the households of these children, check in on their well-being, provide support and resources that we intend to provide. We conducted an induction and training for the CHVs and familiarize them with our child safeguarding policy and ensured they commit to safeguarding and prioritizing the well-being of our project beneficiaries. Through our CHVs, we continue to regularly distribute child friendly posters to promote proper hygiene and sustain public awareness to households.

Whereas Covid19 continues to impact individuals and organizations across the world, we still work closely with project stakeholders to navigate the challenges posed by the pandemic. We shall continue to monitor the development and trends of the virus, and keep up to date with WHO and Ministry of Health guidelines. We are well prepared to take necessary steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our staff, project beneficiaries, and their families. Should the virus pandemic increase adversely, as the current models predict, we shall consult project grantors, project beneficiaries, and project stakeholders to creatively adapt the project within the restrictions posed by the pandemic.

Links:

• Child Safeguarding Workshop

CEDI continues to deliver on its promise of teaching Financial Capability Skills to over 4,000 children in Kenya. The first quarter saw the project makecommendable strides in terms of fostering financial capability skills, strengthening school child safeguarding systems, and furthering conversations with stakeholders in the Ministry of Education to embed the program into the national educational system.

However, the project implementation has been affected by the covid19 pandemics. Covid19 has seen schools close and have ban on public gatherings. Some of the project activities have been postponed till normalcy returns. The activities rescheduled for second quarter include the delivery of My Money Curriculum and developing capacity of the elected My Money Officials. My money officials are pupils and are to be peers within and outside the My Money Club. The capacity building was targeted at leadership skills and personal development.

As an organization, we continue to engage with our project beneficiaries during this pandemic. WhatsApp and virtual meetings remain the biggest channel of sending and receiving info between the organization and project beneficiaries. Other than covid19 safety awareness, we highlight the shadow pandemic; child abuses. Whereas all government efforts and priorities have been overshadowed by the covid19, key sectors of the economy remain neglected and insufficiently supported. This threatens the future, safety, educational outcomes and opportunities of our children. For this reason, we continue to actively sensitize project partners and beneficiaries on the need to safeguard our children at home. Recommendations we give are based on the online and media educational programming, to keep children at pace with the school curriculum.

Going forward, we are equally engaging the project teachers through virtual platforms. Zoom meetings are planned for the end of June 2020. With schools having closed for close to 5months now, CEDI is developing an online assessment tool to highlight the barriers and enablers of teachers to deliver online tutorials in rural parts of Kenya. We are remaining true to whole child development, and the need to inculcate positive social behavior amongst children.

Until then, we continue to follow up on the daily covid19 briefings and heed to recommendations of WHO and Ministry of Health.

CEDI continues to deliver on its promise of teaching Financial Capability Skills to over 4,000 children in Kenya. From the beginning of the year 2020 up to this far, the project has made great strides in terms of fostering financial capability skills, strengthening school child safeguarding systems, and furthering conversations with stakeholders in the Ministry of Education to embed the program into the national educational system.

As the stakeholders own my Money Program, the start of the year saw a stakeholder’s strategy and planning meeting on 8^th and 9^th Feb 2020 to share on the 2019 lessons and findings and improve the gaps and recommendations to better the program. The sessions, each held in Kisumu and Migori counties, were graced by Parents, Pastors, Teachers, Headteachers, school Board of Management Members (BoM), PTA Representatives, Local leaders, and Youths from neighboring communities. The stakeholders appreciated the rationale of teaching financial skills at the early stages of child development so that they grow up into responsible citizens. Similarly, there was a need to improve the capacity of teachers to provide an accommodative, inclusive, and friendly environment where children feel loved, protected, and safe.

On the need to improve capacity,  we held two refreshers ToT workshops with teachers in Kisumu and Migori on 15^th and 16^th Feb 2020. The workshops reached a total of 116 teachers comprising from the four implementing schools, that is, St. Cecilia Olare, Migori, Manyatta, and Kudho Primary Schools. The workshop used various methodologies, child-friendly models, and role-plays, covering group exercises and class simulations. Teachers improved confidence in the delivery of My Money and the ability to implement safeguards for children in their respective schools.

The first quarter also saw My Money Clubs hold their Annual elections for My Money Club Officials within each school. The top positions contested for included; My Money President, Deputy President, Treasurer, Secretary-General, and Coordinator. Pupils displayed sobriety and maturity, right from the campaign period to the results announcement. Quite noting, as the entire process was pupils-led, no rigging reported, no pre or post-election violence reported, no voter bribery/malpractice reported, and no election appeal filed. A team of observers in every school comprising of pupils, teachers, BoM Members, and Education officials said the process was free and fair. Pupil contestants used campaign posters, break times, and campaign agents to sell their ideas to fellow pupils.

Looking forward to the rest of the year, CEDI is working to ensure the empowerment of the elected officials to not only act as leaders at the school level but also peers to fellow pupils. CEDI is further strengthening conversations with officials from the Ministry of Education to embed the program into the country’s education program; however, the slow government may be in up taking new ideas. Assessment is equally underway to replicate the My Money Program into one of the low-cost community schools in Nairobi’s informal settlements of Kibra or Kawangware.

At CEDI, we believe that one of the critical life skills that children need, especially in the low income and middle-income countries, is financial capability skills. As children begin to interact with money (and money forms) at the early stages of life development, there is a need to empower these children with critical capabilities that they take into adulthood.