As part of its outreach programme, Ġemma in collaboration with Caritas and the HSBC Malta Foundation is launching another initiative to continue emphasising the importance of financial capability amongst the local community.
This new Financial Capability Training programme will see ĠEMMA train more than 52 Caritas volunteers who are well conversant with community work, to deliver educational sessions, on various financial topics such as money management, monitoring debt, budgeting, loans, savings and other important tips on money matters. Parish churches will be used to hold these sessions thus facilitating participants’ attendance. Due to the importance of catching-them-young on money management, CARITAS intends to deliver these sessions to all schools in Malta and Gozo.
Similar to other successful training programmes which are now well established on Ġemma’s calendar are the ongoing training held with both the Instituto Paolo Freire and the Mental Health Services.
This train-the-trainer activity, similar to others, could not have been possible without the HSBC Malta Foundation’s support and full co-operation. HSBC Malta Foundation, being one of Ġemma’s stakeholders, has always recognised the importance of improving financial literacy and has collaborated fully in making Ġemma a credible financial capable platform on how one can make the correct financial decisions whilst planning for one’s future.
‘This Ġemma initiative is another step to nudge persons to learn more about their financial capability goals in order to be able to make rational financial choices which would otherwise result in living a stressful life’ stated Mark Musu`, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry for Social Justice and Solidarity, the Family and Children’s Rights.
‘These sessions will help participants to understand more about money matters and lifestyle choices. HSBC Malta Foundation has a long history of supporting Ġemma in its various financial capability initiatives. This new initiative is further evidence of our ongoing commitment to support young people to acquire the financial skills they need to succeed in life’, emphasised Michel Cordina, Executive Director and Head of Business Development at HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c.
‘As an NGO, we continuously strive toward the eradication of poverty and alleviating hardships whilst promoting human development. ‘Through this activity, Caritas would endeavour to educate its volunteers how to improve their well-being by understanding better the value of money in order to take appropriate financial decisions’ highlighted Anthony Gatt, Director CaritasMalta.
For more information, one may visit ĠEMMA website on gemma.gov.mt