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. 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.