My name is James and I represented Gateway in the Credit Union Foundation Australia’s (CUFA) Leadership Challenge (Cambodia, 2008). Currently in Cambodia the older generations generally do not trust financial institutions due to previous political regimes. The program endeavours to increase awareness about banking by educating children on the benefits of saving and introducing them to Credit Unions at a young age.
The program incorporates three challenges:
1) Fundraising challenge - $3,000 is the target to be reached prior to the trip to Cambodia. 100% of the money raised goes straight to CUFA’s Cambodia Project Work.
2) Physical challenge - an adventurous 5 day cycle from Siem Reap to Battambang.
3) Education challenge - deliver CUFA’s financial literacy program in Battambang with children and attend the CUFA training centre in the capital Phnom Penh.
The most important thing I took out of the challenge was to see how successful the Children's Financial Literacy Program has been in changing the lives of children. It allows them to have dreams and aspirations that they otherwise would not be able to have. Surprisingly, the program is also positively affecting their families as I discovered when visiting the houses of some villagers.
On behalf of Gateway I would like to thank everyone who supported the Financial Literacy Program for Cambodian children and helped raise $5,000.
James