Financial literacy is a whole educational program devoted to raise awareness and expand the capabilities of people by means of various methodologies and tools. It’s the largest project initiated by FINCA Bank 3 years ago. It started with the trainings mainly focused on preventing over- indebtedness.

As time has gone on, the project developers and the trainers came to understanding that it’s important not only to get the message of the key points of working with financial institutions across to the public, but to include all the topics ranging from personal budgeting to banking services. Besides, the avenue of reporting has started to expand.

Last year the FINCA Bank in cooperation with the Deutsche Bank has developed a new module for high school students and a manual “A journey to the world of finance” in order to support the project; the manual contains advice on allotment of personal finances, information on savings, advantages and disadvantages of deposits for teenagers, advice on how to choose the bank and a list of recommended reading. The book is being distributed in the course of trainings in schools. Besides, the Bank has published the first comics “Money ABC” developed by the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Educational materials were supplemented by visual infographics showing what is the use of the bank account and how to open it in three simple steps.

The simple steps in the use of banking products and services were spoken in the video clips on financial literacy. The whole series consisting of 11 animated video clips was prepared for posting in the web space and demonstration during the educational events held by the Bank.

Employees of the CJSC “FINCA Bank” say that it is necessary to improve the tools facilitating carrying on dialogue with the population along with the development of technologies. Currently many people obtain a lot of information by mobile phones, that’s why development of such media products does little more than helps reach one’s goals.

But, of course, the main core of the project is the trainings held free of charge by specially trained trainers in all the regions of the country. The Bank’s employees lecture on how to command finance in the right way and how to build one’s financially independent future in schools, health care facilities and sewing shop.

The Bank informs that 506 trainings were held during the year, and 11 128 people took part in the trainings. In total, for the period of implementation of the project, since 2012, 1 030 trainings were held and 22 259 people took part in the trainings.

For more detailed information please visit www.FINCA.kg