JN Foundation to host online financial webinars
THE JN Foundation, through its BeWi$e Financial Empowerment Programme, will host a series of webinars on financial literacy from April 27 to 29.
Rose Miller, grants manager and team lead for the BeWi$e Financial Empowerment Programme, said the webinars will target students at the high and tertiary levels who are JN scholarship recipients, as well as the parents and guardians of these scholars. Another is also being hosted for members/customers of the JN Group, but is also open to members of the public.
“These sessions have become even more relevant now as we go through the pandemic, now in its second year. COVID-19 has impacted the lives of everyone socially and emotionally, but by far its greatest impact has arguably been financially. Those who are going to survive are those who are mentally prepared and truly understand money and how money works,” she noted.
Miller said the focus of the sessions is to increase awareness about financial matters; assist persons in improving their money management skills; and to discuss how they can navigate financial transactions using technology during this challenging period where working from home, curfews, occasional lockdowns, social distancing and the reduction of large gatherings are implemented as part of the solution to help in the fight against the pandemic.
“We have been encouraging persons to use the available technology, such as the use of an app to monitor their finances as well as budgeting; pointing persons to sign up for online banking to carryout activities such as bill payment,” which she said is convenient, efficient and safer.
EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY
Miller said while some Jamaicans have expressed concerns about using technology, it is time that they embrace technology as the pandemic has forced many to adapt.
Turning to the webinar scheduled for JN members and the general public on April 29 at 7:00 p.m., Miller encouraged everyone to log on and join the conversation. “We must be continually working to improve the level of financial literacy of our citizens so that our families and country can be more financially stable.”
The session entitled: ‘Ask Me Anything About Money’, will be facilitated by experts from across the JN Group, along with special guest Michelle Toylor-Carter, chief executive officer of Credit Information Services.
“Persons attending may register on the JN Foundation website and JN Group social media platforms for an informative discussion on charting a path to financial security,” said the JN Foundation grants manager.
The JN BeWi$e Financial Literacy Project was launched by the JN Foundation, in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank, in June 2013.
Initially targeting remittance customers, many of whom were unbanked, the programme has been expanded to include other groups as well as children. Utilising a toolkit designed to debunk the myth that financial independence is a dream attainable by only a few, the programme promotes the idea that with knowledge, discipline and commitment, this desirable status can be achieved by many.
Revamped in 2015, the initiative has become one of the most sought-after programmes at the JN Foundation, as individuals become more aware that proper money management is necessary in their quest to achieve their financial goals.