

67Child Social and Financial Education
AflatounThe Aflatoun Program focuses on providing life skills rooted in social and financial education to children aged 6-14 years. The Aflatoun concept revolves
around the belief that children are powerful agents of social and economicchange. Empowering children to make this change and break the cycle of poverty
means making them aware of what their rights and responsibilities are, and equipping them with the tools to put those rights into practice.
Aflatoun believes this is possible throughan education that balances personal and social
awareness with practical planning, saving andentrepreneurial skills. Children are encouraged to make the best use of their resources:
whether these are in the form of money, natural
resources, clothes or time.
Today, Aflatoun is reaching over 540,000
children and helping over 200,000 children
save in twenty-three countries. Aflatoun is also
in dialogue with fifty-two other countries thatare interested in implementing the Aflatoun
Program.
Through a growing network of local implementing partners, donors and other stakeholders, Aflatoun aims to provide Social and
Financial Education to one million children inseventy-five countries by the end of 2010.

and financially empowered children. Aflatoun
believes that children should be taught to understand their rights and responsibilities, andstrives to ensure that child financial education
is viewed as a right for every child across theglobe.
In pursuit of this dream, Aflatoun adopted
the following mission:“Inspiring children to socially and economicallyempower themselves to be agents of change
in their own lives and for a more equitableworld”.

The Aflatoun concept is based on a pilot
project in the western state of Maharastra,
India, run by an organization called MelJol,1
now an Aflatoun partner. What began as aschool-based child rights program expanded toinclude a component in which children learned
about saving money.
This experience created awareness among
the children of the benefits of saving and of
how banking systems work and increased theirself-esteem and confidence.
Due to MelJol’s success, other countries
were approached to discuss whether a similar
concept could bring the same benefits to theircommunities. Encouraged by the enthusiastic
reaction of social entrepreneurs and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) around theworld, Aflatoun Child Savings International
was founded with the mission of bringing

Mission, Vision and History
The inspiration for Aflatoun comes from
Jeroo Billimoria, an Indian national who grewup and worked among the street children of
Mumbai. Through this experience she came tothe conclusion that a lack of basic knowledge
about rights, responsibilities and finance is at
the root of economic and social inequality.
Jeroo’s, and Aflatoun’s, dream is to reducepoverty through the development of socially

67

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HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

Child Social & Financial Education to children
everywhere.
In November 2005, the Aflatoun network
was formally launched in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and representatives from all sectors
and institutions from around the world committed to the Aflatoun concept. A global pilot
project involving ten more countries began.
Today, Aflatoun is reaching 500,000 children
in twenty-three countries.

The Aflatoun Program
The Aflatoun Program is built on the core
principles of Child Social & Financial Education(CSFE). The Aflatoun teaching methodology
encourages “learning by doing” through fun
games, activities, songs and workbooks; children are encouraged to take an active role in
the learning process. This includes school-widesavings clubs, financial and social enterprises,and group activities within the community.
Aflatoun’s Network of partners from thesocial, corporate and governmental sectors work
together to ensure that the Aflatoun program is
implemented and supported at a local level, inboth schools and non-formal educational settings. Aflatoun’s partners ensure that the materials are contextualized and adapted to meet local
requirements, so that the Aflatoun message canbe passed on to all children, everywhere.

Aflatoun’s Theory of Change

Child Social and Financial Education  69

The Aflatoun Network

Strategic Objectives
In order to realize the Aflatoun dream and achieve our
mission, Aflatoun structures
its work around five strategic
objectives:
1. To create awareness about
the social and economic
rights of children as statedin Article 4 of the United
Nations Convention of
the Rights of the Child(CRC). This work involves
advocacy with regionaland national governments,
central banks, as well as
multilateral and bilateralorganizations.

The stakeholders perform the following
roles:·

Children – learn skills through Social and
Financial Education·	Schools and Non-formal Education
Centers – provide stimulating Social and
Financial Education· Ministry of Education – works for mutual progress and support the program
nationwide· Financial institutions – reinforce Aflatoun Program by opening savings accounts for children· Partners – implement the Aflatoun Program locally·	Trainers – promote the Aflatoun Educational Methodology globally· Donors – provide resources for the sustainability of the program.

2. To facilitate the inclusion of
CSFE into formal andinformal education systems in recognition of
the children’s rights. This work is focusedon getting government bodies and NGOs
worldwide to include CSFE into their activities and curriculums.
3. To create a culture of savings and financial
management among children globally. This
work involves the implementation of theAflatoun Program in education systems
worldwide through partnership with local
NGOs.
4. To facilitate children’s entrepreneurial development through the formation of Aflatounclubs. This work involves the formationof Aflatoun clubs, which complement theCSFE curriculum by engaging children
in entrepreneurial activities and child-run
microenterprises.

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HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

5. To facilitate the review of banking policies
and procedures to ensure child-friendlinessand global access to banking services forolder children. This work involves lobbying
Central Banks in order to increase children’saccess to banking and financial services.
Working towards these five strategic objectives is what keeps the Aflatoun wheels turning.
The achievement of some, or even just one, of
these goals brings Aflatoun closer to its ultimate
goal of a global society that has broken thecycle of poverty.

Child Social and Financial Education
At the root of poverty, in both economicallydeveloping and developed countries, lies socialand economic inequality. This inequality isperpetuated by a lack of basic knowledge about
individual rights and responsibilities on the one
hand, and an absence of personal finance skillson the other. Pervasive inequality driven by
widespread social and financial nescience has
resulted in a global status quo that excludes thepoor from financial systems.
Acquiring financial knowledge and entrepreneurial skills enables individuals to makethe best use of available economic resources.
Understanding human rights and their responsibilities as citizens allows individuals todevelop themselves and their communities inan equitable manner. Obviously, these rights
and responsibilities do not operate in a vacuum,
but rather within a particular sociopoliticalcontext and economic reality. Rights cease tohave meaning if the individual lacks the skills
and knowledge required to actualize them.
Thus, the empowerment derived from socialand financial education represents the pragmatic
expression of the United Nations’ Universal
Declaration of Human Rights and the CRC.
Social, and to a greater extent financial,education continues to be a weak link in edu-

cational systems across the globe. While someattention is paid to teaching children about
their rights and responsibilities in school, little
consideration is given to imparting the life
skills that will permit them to play an informed
economic role in the future. In most societies,
children’s financial education is considered afamily matter; a fact that often reinforces andreiterates economic inequality from generation
to generation. Children whose parents do nothave financial knowledge and skills, or accessto financial services, are similarly denied thechance to learn about money and financial
management. This inherent “passing down”
of financial illiteracy perpetuates the cycle ofpoverty. A rudimentary financial education,
co-taught with child’s rights and responsibilities
and provided as a part of the education system,
will give children the opportunity to take chargeof their own life, to break away from the cycleof poverty and to become socially responsible
citizens.
An education that equips a child with a basic
understanding of the principles of finance andeconomics represents an investment in his or
her future. In practical terms, having a financial
education means that the child understands andcan engage in basic bank transactions, that heor she is comfortable planning, budgeting andsaving and understands the necessity of doing
so, and has the entrepreneurial skills to set upa small business. With financial education children are also familiarized with the concepts oflending, investment, profit and profit-sharing.
Underpinning the theory and practice of
CSFE, is the conviction that children should
not be dismissed simply because they have notyet become adults. Children must be seen as
individuals already capable of making senseof the world around them, of exploring theirsocial, political and economic environment,
and of making choices based on a developed
system of values and beliefs. CSFE is a viable
solution to stemming global poverty if, and only
if, adults recognize children as important andChild Social and Financial Education  71

effective agents of social and economic change.
Derived from this recognition is the idea thatchildren, as a group and if suitably equipped,
represent a high-potential lever in breaking the
global cycle of poverty. The “equipment” thatenables children to assume their role as changemakers is social and financial education. CSFE
is comprised of two key sets of knowledge andskills that children must be taught at an earlystage: Rights and Responsibilities and Financial
Education.

Children’s Rights and Responsibilities
In order to make informed decisions about
their participation in civic, social and economic
systems, children must first understand theirrights and responsibilities. Specifically, therights are those identified in the CRC. The
CRC spells out the basic human rights to whichchildren everywhere, without discrimination,
are entitled. This includes the right to survivaland education, the right to participation, andthe right to equality between boys and girls.
Without rights economic resources lose value;
children who understand and exercise theirrights are in the best position to maximize theirresources and opportunities, and to do so in asocially just way.
Complementary to teaching children about
their rights is helping them understand their
responsibilities as citizens, because rights andresponsibilities are necessarily interdependent.
The recognition of personal and communal
responsibility is especially important whenchildren are being equipped with the skills
and knowledge to increase their own wealth,power and future opportunities. Children must
internalize their basic responsibilities towards
themselves, other individuals, their community
and the environment, so that they do not misinterpret their rights as an entitlement to abuseor exploit others. Breaking the global cycle ofpoverty is only possible if children exercise their
newfound social and economic empowerment
within an ethical framework that acknowledges
that everyone has a responsibility to uphold therights of everyone else.

Financial Education
Once children have begun to internalize
their rights and responsibilities, they should
be taught the knowledge and skills needed tomaximize economic resources and initiatedinto the practice of saving money. The financial
education component of CSFE encapsulates theconcepts and skills required to manage one’s
personal assets that includes earning, saving,planning, spending and the idea of exchanging
value, as well as entrepreneurial skills.
In addition to classroom learning, children
must be engaged in extracurricular activities
to which they can apply their knowledge andexercise their money management skills. Not
only because application reinforces learning, butmore importantly, so that they develop responsible savings and spending habits that they will
carry with them into adulthood. These childsavings activities can be as simple as a contributing to a class piggy bank or as sophisticated as
managing a small business.

Child Rights
The ideological basis of the Aflatoun Program is the CRC, particularly the following
provisions:a. Participation: Articles 12, 13, 14, and15

Aflatoun is a concept by children, and forchildren; equal rights for boys and girls areembedded in the class material and program
design.

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HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

b. Protection: Articles 2, 19, 34, and 36

The Aflatoun Program explains to children
their rights to protection from discrimination,
sexual abuse and exploitation.

c. Development: Articles 28, 29

Aflatoun emphasizes the importance of education by using formal and informal education
systems to disseminate CSFE concepts.

d. General: Articles 1, 4, 31, and 42

Aflatoun is built around social and economic
rights; it advocates and explains the importanceof the CRC to children, parents, teachers andcommunity members.

Five Core Elements
The Aflatoun Program ensures that CFSE is
no longer just the responsibility of the family,
but is brought into the sphere of formal education. It targets children aged 6-14 who attend
predominantly government-run schools. It is
designed to be engaging and child-friendly, it
uses methods that put children at the centerof the learning process; these methods include
songs, games, worksheets, puzzles, and roleplay activities. The knowledge and skills thatchildren learn are applied through school-widesavings club where participants are encouraged
to save their money regularly.
The Aflatoun Program is implemented
around the world by Aflatoun’s partner organizations (typically not-for-profit NGOs). The
long-term aim is for governments to incorporate the Aflatoun Program into their standard
national curriculum.
There are five core elements that encapsulate
the Aflatoun concept of CFSE and guide thedesign and implementation of the Aflatoun
Program:

1. Personal understanding and exploration
Children investigate their own personalvalues. Through exploration of citizenship ideas
and ongoing interaction with peers, each choose
the values that they feel are right for them. Financial ethics are explored and children learn
the importance of balancing financial skills withthe judgment to use these skills responsibly.
2. Rights and responsibilities
Aflatoun is grounded in the CRC, which
identifies four sets of interdependent rights.
Responsibilities go hand in hand with thoserights and children learn about their responsibilities towards themselves, their family, theenvironment and their community.
3. Saving and spending
Financial empowerment hinges not only
on constructive personal value systems, butalso on specific, practical skills. Children learn
how to save and how to spend in a responsible
manner.
4. Planning and budgeting
Financial empowerment is achieved whenchildren use their saving and spending skills
to maximize their life choices. For example, aconsistent savings habit can enable a child tostay in school longer when payment for education is required.
5. Child enterpriseChildren are encouraged to view themselves
as active participants in and shapers of theircommunity. Through classroom activities children conduct social and/or financial enterprises
to see how they can have a positive impact on
their community.

Child Social and Financial Education  73

Princi ples of Implementation
To become effective as much as possible
in each country, the partner organizations
have to contextualize the Aflatoun Program toreflect local realities. However, there are three
key elements that should be adhered to when
implementing the program in a given country.
This approach attempts to balance freedom toinnovate and culturally appropriate learning
while preserving the integrity of the Program
between countries. The three key elements are
outlined below.
The name: The word “Aflatoun” is of Arabic
origin and refers to ‘the explorer’ - a person
who thinks, explores, investigates and acts.
It is also the Arabic name for Plato, the great
Greek philosopher, who is known for his ideas
on ethics, citizenship, social justice, respect,conservation, friendship and love.
The Character: The Aflatoun character is
an imaginary fireball from outer space who
has come to earth to befriend children and toteach them about their rights, responsibilities
and how to manage money. Aflatoun leads children through their learning journey. Aflatoun
helps to create emotional attachment between
children and the program material. Aflatoun’s

motto is: “Separate fiction from fact. Explore,
think, investigate and act.”
Both the meaning of the word and the roleof the character point what Aflatoun stands for:empowering children to become responsible,
proactive citizens who contribute to breaking
the poverty cycle and to improving their own
quality of life.
Training Methodology: Training is essential
to the success of the Aflatoun Program. It seeks
to inform and inspire highly motivated teachers,
who are the key actors in the learning process.
The training tree model as explained below isessential to achieve scale at low cost. The training tree consists of several levels of training ina country:

74



HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLSThe training tree approach maximizes theresources of the local organization(s). If, for example, one person from the local organization istrained and she/he runs three training sessionsof twenty trainers each, producing sixty trainers,
those sixty trainers can train 400 teachers, who
can in turn teach 30,000 children (seventy-fivechildren/teacher).

The Aflatoun Curriculum
Aflatoun has divided the entire CSFE curriculum into eight consecutive workbooks.
Each workbook can take up to one school year
to teach, depending on the frequency and duration of lessons. The curriculum is cumulative inthat each successive workbook builds on knowledge and skills acquired in prior workbooks.
However, the beginning of each book has acomprehensive recap of previously introduced
concepts that makes it possible to teach any
given book on its own. The main objectives ofeach of the eight books are as follows:
Workbook I (for ages 6-7) helps children tounderstand themselves and how each andevery one of them is unique. The concept ofsavings is introduced through the creationof a collective class piggy bank.
Workbook II (for ages 7-8) teaches children
to see themselves in the context of theirfamily, their community and the world. It
communicates the universality of savings
and introduces the idea of money as meansof satisfying needs.
Workbook III (for ages 8-9) initiates a process of self-exploration as well as sensitizingchildren to the feelings of others. Transparency and financial ethics are introduced
as integral concepts when dealing withmoney.

Workbook IV (for ages 9-10) emphasizes
children’s responsibility for their actions.
It also develops their sense of pride about
their savings and encourages them to spend
their saved money collectively on joint classinitiatives such as class picnics, school supplies and educational fieldtrips.
Workbook V (for ages 10-11) introduceschildren to the concept of rights going handin hand with responsibilities. The conceptof money as a medium of exchange is introduced. Children become aware of different
sources of money and the need to balance
income, expenditure and savings.
Workbook VI (for ages 11-12) reinforces
the importance of rights in every child’slife and simultaneously explores issues ofmarginalization in society. It introduceschildren to the formal banking system andshows children how to develop a system tomanage with their savings.
Workbook VII (for ages 12-13) gives children an opportunity to challenge theirmyths and stereotypes of marginalizedgroups of people. It explains the need forsetting financial goals and lets them explore
the connections between income, expenditure, savings and investment through a
micro-enterprise activity.
Workbook VIII (for ages 13-14) encourages
self-reflection and probes further into issuesof stereotypes and prejudices on issues suchas gender and race. It also further develops
financial planning capabilities.
Desired Competencies and Behaviors ofChildren in the Aflatoun Program: (opposite
page)Child Social and Financial Education  75

Core Element 1 We appreciate and respect our own uniqueness, special characteristics and needs, as well as those of others
Understanding & For each child in our program, the core expected outcomes are the
Outcome
ImpactExploration
following competencies:
Behavior*
Behavior**
ThemesKnowledge

Attitudes

Skills

1. We areunique &specialK1.1

I knoweveryone has
her/his own
talents, skills
and strengths
like me!

A1.1

I believe inmyself: I canachieve manythings!

S1.1

I can sharethings about
myself andexpress
how I feel

2. We like toexploreK1.2

I understandthe importanceof “Separating
fictionfrom fact.
Exploring,
investigating,thinking andacting!”A1.2

I am curious
to learn more!

S1.2

I am able
to seek andanalyze
relevant
information

3. We arecompassionate membersof the world

K1.3

I know I am
part of theworld, which
is diverse ingender, age,nationality,
culture,ethnicity, class,religion andabilityA1.3

I valuediversity &equityS1.3

I caninteract witheverybodyrespectfullyCore Element 2: We appreciate and defend the rights of ourselves and others, while wevalue and fulfill the responsibilities that accompany them
Rights &Responsibilities
ThemesKnowledge

Attitudes

1

I confidently
participate
in different
activities
in mycommunity

1

I am achangemaker2

I participateindemocratic
processes

2

I stay inschoollonger3

I accessresources

4

I manageresources3

I thinkoutside thebox

4

I makemy ownchoicesconsiderateof others

Skills

1. We
know/claim our
RightsK2.1

I am aware ofwhat my rights
are

A2.1

I want rights
to be realized
for every childin the world

S2.1

I can doactivities toclaim childrights from
whoever is
responsible

2. We carefor others &ourselves

K2.2

I know myrights comewith certain
responsibilities

A 2.2

I like caring
for the wellbeing ofmyself, others& the world!

S2.2

I can seewhen andhow I canhelp others
andact
accordingly

76



HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLSCore Element 3: We know and value the importance of the appropriate use of natural,material and financial resources and we are able to prioritze the use of
Saving &these resources in a responsible manner
Spending
Knowledge

Attitudes

Skills

THEMES
1. We use
resources
responsibly

K3.1

I understandsomeresources are
scarce andneed
to be valued

A3.1

I value anappropriate
use of naturalandfinancialresources

S3.1

I am able tocreatively
use, reuse,save, andprotect
resources

2. We savemoney
regularly

K3.2

I understandthe conceptof money andhow basic
financial tools
and systems
work

A3.2

I valuesavings asa means
to satisfy
needs and toachieve goals
in life

S3.2

I am able torecord mysavings anduseappropriate
financialtools

3. We spend
responsibly

K3.3

I know myneeds andwants may bedifferent

A3.3

I am proudof makingcareful, wellthought
throughspending
decisions

S3.3

I am able toprioritize anddistinguishbetween
my wants
and needsCore Element
4: Planning &Budgeting

We value the importance of planning and budgeting resources and weare able to set goals, plan and coordinate resources and implement ourplans accordingly
Knowledge

Attitudes

Skills

THEMES
1. We plan torealize goals

K4.1

I understandthe importanceof planning
andrecognize
the different
elements
involved

A4.1

I want toplan (before
I spend/dothings)S4.1

I am able
to set goals
and plansteps toachievethem, using
available
resources

2 We canmake a budget

K4.2

I understandthe use of andthe different
elements ofbudgetingA4.2

I appreciate
the use ofbudgets in myplanning

S4.2

I am able
to create abudget, andbalance itagainstexpenses5

I defend myrights andthe rights ofothers6

I save &depositregularly

7

I have asavings
account

8

I withdraw
less

9

I set
financialgoals formyself10

I makebudgets

4

I apply
what I
learn
efficiently

Child Social and Financial Education  77

Core Element
5: Social &FinancialEnterprise

We and our classmates design and run social and financial enterprises
which contribute to the improvement of self, school and community. We
demonstrate perseverance, responsibility and creativity

THEMES
1. We
undertakeenterprises

K5.1

I understandthe basicprinciples ofenterprises

A5.1

I am eager
to take theinitative toachievesomething

S5.1

I am able toresearch &decide what
enterprise I
want to startand am able
to run it

2. We
enterprise forchangeK5.2

I understandthat there
are situations
around methat need to,and can be,
improved

A5.2

I like to be achangemakerS5.2

I can comeup withmeaningful
ways toaddresssocial issues
around me

3 We value
teamwork

K5.3

I know theimportance ofcooperation

A5.3

I valueworking with
my friends/
classmates

S5.3

We (myfriends/
classmatesand I) areable tomakedecisions& carryout tasks
together toachieve ourgoals

Knowledge

Attitudes

11

I run microenterprise5

I makemy ownchoices12

I haveorganized/
conducted
projects
for socialand greencauses6

I am
happy!

SkillsMETHODOLOGY

CORE ACTIVITIESAt the core of Aflatoun’s approach is its
educational methodology. This consists of:• child participatory education• experiential learning (learning by doing)• use of songs, games and activities• eight workbooks with a minimum of 40 hours
interaction per workbook or an equivalent formof delivery

The core activities of
the Aflatoun Programare:• electing class/ group
officers• having a savings
system (savings
box/bank deposit)• use of financial
systems (ledgers,
passbooks)* The outcome
behaviors• visits toreflect expectedbank &
changes inotherchildren’s
educational behavior
trips
throughout• conducting the program.
a social
Behaviors areenterprise to be attributed
to a range ofcompetencies.
With longer
participation in
the program,behavior change
will be more
complete.

** The impact
behaviorsreflect desiredchangesin students’behavior in
their further life.
Thesechanges, if
occurring, will
only be visible
throughlongitudinal
impactstudies78



HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

Aflatoun Stories from the Schools
Philippines
Aflatoun students have set up a chicken
enterprise that has given birth to a school
feeding program. In 2006, Plan Philippines
donated eighteen chickens to Grade 5 students
at Gutad Elementary School (Calapan, Oriental Mindoro). The students sold the eggs to
the community stores and to their neighbors.
Their profits were saved in their bamboo banks
called “alkansya.” By 2007 the chickens hadlaid enough eggs to be shared with students inyounger grade levels for them to start their own
chicken enterprise for all students. The profit
students generated from the school chicken
enterprise, aided by financial donations and support from the Parent Teacher Council (PTC)
has funded the cultivation of a rice field. The
harvest of the rice field is used for lunch feeding
program, once a week.
In another school, Tanyag Elementary
School (Calintaan, Occidental Mindoro), theAflatoun students set-up a little stationery
store where they sold school supplies, withseed money given by Plan Philippines who is
one of Aflatoun’s implementing partners in the
country. The school allowed time before thestart of school (morning) and during breaks,
to have kids set up their store and start selling
the products. Participating students coordinate
the whole process, budgeting, purchasing,stocking, and selling the supplies at a profit.
These profits are divided monthly among theparticipating students. This small enterprise has
been an important achievement for the students
especially because their school is very far fromthe town center where they used to buy theirschool supplies before they had this new idea.

India
In India, various activities have been held:

1. They have Aflatoun cultural events where
the tribal children from the residential tribal
schools in Thane district of Maharashtra
perform the local ‘tarpa’ dance. The tribal
communities perform this traditional danceon all joyous occasions. In the month before
this event the students had also celebrated
the ‘Aflatoun week’ in their respective
schools where they held mock banks andlearned about currencies of other countries,
how to identify a real Rs 500/ (about 10
US dollars) - note from a fake note anddiscuss the banking activities in a bank,among others.
2. Students from 5, 6 & 7 classes of Ashram
schools of Thane district of Maharashtra,
India engaged in roleplaying a bank scene
with students playing the roles of manager,
cashier, clerk, etc. and with play-money during a session on financial education.
3. Thirty students from the Thane district,
Maharashtra, went on a school trip to theReserve Bank of India. They met with bankofficers in their conference room and visitedtheir monetary museum.
4. Children from Mumbai Municipal Corporation schools went to the Reserve Bank ofIndia (RBI), interacting with an official toseek information from him on the role of
the RBI. The RBI Mumbai has been very
cooperative in giving financial education tochildren.
5. In another rural village, the students organized a campaign against tobacco smoking.
They collected the tobacco butts in theirvillage and performed a ceremonial burning of tobacco butts to display their dislike
for the habit.
6. Since getting the help of quack doctors isstill the norm in some villages, the students
decided to address this issue by performing a theatre play in their community. The
objective of the play was to help their fellow
villages also trust in the medical help foundin doctors and nurses in the community
health centers and hospitals.

Child Social and Financial Education  79

Vietnam
In Vietnam, a mother of an Aflatoun clubmember learned from the Aflatoun activities
and opened an individual savings account, too.
One club used the group savings to contribute for the medical expenses of another clubmember’s father. Another club purchased books
and stationary for students from poor families
in their school. One other Aflatoun club helped
handicapped persons during weekends with
their household work.

Some Quotes from the Students“I often observe nature. I often see how ants
collect little branches and earth to build theirhome, very patiently. Like them I will save formy future with the help of Aflatoun. I would
like to be a professor in mathematics.” Boy fromPhuong, Vietnam“ I feel more confident when standing in front ofa crowd because of my position as representative
for Aflatoun in which I organize a 30-minutesession on Saturdays. I feel that this helps me torealize my right to participation. I like Aflatoun
for its social aspects in the Aflatoun clubs andthat it enables me to understand so many issues,stories and problems. I want to become a good
citizen in society, and hopefully I will become ateacher for children with disability. Despite theeconomic and health hardships that my family
face I will work and study hard, especially in the
Aflatoun Program, to realize my dreams”. - 7year-old girl from Vietnam“ I have saved 200,000 VND (about 12 US
dollars) at home and 41,000 VND (about 2 andhalf US dollars) in the Aflatoun program. I get
2,000 VND (10 US cents) as breakfast moneyfrom my parents (they work in the rice fields) anduse 500 VND (0.025 US cent) as savings. My
parents know and support the program; they evengive more sometimes because they appreciate thesavings program so much. Through Aflatoun I
am more aware of the value of money”. - Girl
from Vietnam“Before, my habit was ‘earn money - spend - thensave’. Now, after learning from the program, I
think ‘earn money - save - then spend.” - Street
child, Philippines“Aflatoun helps us to become better savers andbetter people.” - Grade 1 student, Philippines“The value of the Aflatoun program is that children dream, and believe they can achieve it if theywork hard.” - Teacher, Philippines

Program Evaluation
In 2008, Aflatoun introduced a networkwide evaluation strategy that will be implemented by Aflatoun Program partners. This
will complement the existing evaluation work
already being done by partners. This networkwide strategy is a series of five connectedsurveys that will be done on an annual basis
by partners. It will be a survey of the partner,of schools and classes, and of children in the
Aflatoun Program.
Aflatoun is also aiming to do more rigorous
research particularly using random assignment
evaluations of Aflatoun Program.
All evaluation work is published on an annual basis in Children & Change, Aflatoun’s
flagship publication.

Conclusion
The Aflatoun Network is working to spreadthe concept of Child Social and Financial Education and make it a sustainable and well-recognized intervention. As more partner organizations have committed to bringing the Aflatoun
dream to more children, Aflatoun continues to80

HUMAN RIGHTS EDUCATION IN ASIAN SCHOOLS

remain cautiously optimistic about the future,learning from the partner experiences. Aflatoun
steadfastly believes that Child Social & Financial
Education can ensure that change is put in thehands of children.

Endnotes

See MelJol Team, “MelJol: Hum Bacchon Ka” in
Human Rights Education in Asian Schools 1/82-90,
and Jeroo Billimoria, Kamal Damania, and Sumitra
Ashtikar, “MelJol: An Indian Experiment” in Human
Rights Education in Asian Schools 4/11-19 for more
information on Meljol.