JCLA student ambassadors help primary school pupils to be financially savvy

Miri – 19 November 2018 – Forty Year 5 and Year 6 pupils of Sekolah Kebangsaan Lambir Village were taught a thing or two about being financially savvy by John Curtin Leadership Academy (JCLA) student ambassadors of Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia) recently.

The pupils were participants of a ‘Save-A-Ringgit’ project organised by the JCLA ambassadors, the twelfth batch of Curtin students going through the university’s elite student leadership development programme.

The JCLA ambassadors comprised electrical power engineering student Kee Kia Wei, chemical engineering student Siah Qi, accounting and finance student Augustinne Wong Zhian Zhiow and finance and marketing student Yong Li Yee. All are in the third year of their respective courses.

Collaborating with social enterprise Grow the Goose and the Curtin Educational Excellence Facilitating Team (E-FacT), a volunteer student mentors group at Curtin Malaysia, the JCLA ambassadors ran the ‘Save-A-Ringgit’ project to promote financial literacy among children from a young age.

The project comprised a one-day Financial Saving Bootcamp, followed by a 40-day Savings Competition, and a Social Enterprise Business Idea Competition.

Coming up tops in the Savings Competition was Year 5 pupil Sherlyna Irene Landu anak Raymond, followed by Year 5 pupil Reffina anak Jeckson Tay and Year 6 pupil Joyceline anak Mangu in second and third place. The participating students were given a journal sheet each to record their savings progress for 40 days and the winners are awarded based on their consistency in saving.

Founder of Grow the Goose, Nina Othman, said that it takes 40 days to develop a saving habit, which was the basis of the Savings Competition.

Meanwhile, Year 5 pupil Noor Asyura binti Abdul Rahman emerged winner of the Social Enterprise Business Idea Competition due to her innovative homemade cupcake enterprise idea. Noor Asyura says she plans to hone her baking skills and set up an online page to sell her cupcakes someday.

They winners were all presented certificates during a prize giving ceremony held their school.

For JCLA ambassador Yong, the project was a highly rewarding and great learning experience. She said she hopes the children will be empowered and able to use the knowledge gained to make a positive change in their lives and that of others.

The JCLA is an annual year-long leadership programme developed by Curtin University in honour of John Curtin, the fourteenth Prime Minister of Australia, with the objectives of instilling in student leaders the three core values he espoused: Vision, Leadership and Community Service.

The programme aims to produce student leaders who can ensure the sustainability of campus clubs and societies, improve campus life for students, and contribute meaningfully to the community. It also gives them the opportunity to get a head start in their careers.

Grow the Goose is a social enterprise supported the Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC) that provides financial empowerment programmes for children and youths aged between 7 to 18 years old to help them attain financial wisdom entering adulthood.

Started in September 2015, it has conducted 46 workshops and engaged with over 1,200 children and youths using their 3-stage programme, Save Diligently, Earn Responsibly, and Invest Sustainably.

The JCLA hopes to further develop the ‘Save-A-Ringgit’ project in collaboration with the Founders Club, a group of Curtin Malaysia students committed to social entrepreneurship, and Grow the Goose. This will include conducting more workshops and delivering the programme to more children.

‘Save-A-Ringgit’ committee members with headmaster, teachers and competition winners during the bootcamp at SK Lambir Village.

’Save-A-Ringgit’ committee and facilitators with the project participants.