Eye-opening valuable lessons

AN employee of Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad (PAMB) and volunteer at its Karnival Cha-Ching recently shared how surprised she was to learn of her own children’s thoughts: that money came from parents or the ATM. “Kids raised in urban areas are so used to having things provided for them. You will be surprised at how little they know of money and where it comes from, not to mention finance, how it works, and why prudent financial planning skills are increasingly important.”
MONEY MATTERS
PAMB introduced Karnival Cha-Ching to educate Malaysians on finance and teach them how to manage their money better. The company was convinced that knowledge of financial management should be nurtured at an early age so as to teach pupils how to make wise life-changing financial decisions.
Through its fun and engaging programme, children were given hands-on experiential opportunities to manage money by taking part in fun games at game station booths. These taught the children how to earn, save, spend and donate their money. Apart from how to make financial decisions. The outcome showed them how powerful their own hard work is, and how it affects results.
Insightful tips some volunteers themselves learnt included:
▶ pocket money and bonuses can be earned from helping out (at home);
▶ know your spending limit; and
▶ understand the purpose of pocket money.
PRICELESS EDUCATION
With data by the Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency (AKPK) reporting that over 25,000 Malaysians under the age of 35 were declared bankrupt in the last five years, PAMB’s mission to educate 50,000 pupils is crucial and will benefit many.
To date, 5,385 school-going children have benefited from this programme carried out in Klang Valley and Kelantan, plus urban poor communities in Kuala Lumpur. PAMB plans to collaborate with the National Council of Welfare and Social Development Malaysia (MAKPEN) and NGO Yayasan Generasi Gemilang (GG) to take the programme nationwide.
Clearly, it is more important to teach one to fish than to provide them the fish as it helps make one more competent. For more, log on to the PAMB website.