Our vision is to turn money from a problem to a solution. Money is social: when we spend, save, invest or run a business, it impacts others; for us, a financial literate person is someone who does not harm others when managing money. It is not about ‘getting rich’. Financial responsibility is more sustainable than individualistic financial literacy.

Money is a problem when:

  • Many people struggle with debts: debts shape their priorities, push them to earn more, thus impacting the environment, stress them and foster inequalities, migration, vulnerability or even slavery.
  • The prevalent attitude is to ‘get rich now’: it makes people take unthoughtful and emotional decisions, believe in scams more easily and turn a blind eye to unethical practices.
  • Money is seen as personal: spouses or families don’t decide together, causing arguments, divorces and estate issues, and the impact of consumption or investment decisions on others is ignored.
  • Money is only seen as a technical topic: financial education is reduced to using relevant financial products, ignoring feelings, power struggle, social interactions triggered by finance.

a+b=3‘s training programmes aim to encourage:

  • Problem solving: to positively impact their lives, participants to our programme learn to analyse their problems – whether financial or not – and find practical solutions that work for them and their family.
  • Common sense and critical thinking: we use daily life language and situations and colourful pictures to make money less mysterious and build participants’ confidence.
  • Ethics and mindfulness: money is a social tool that links people: someone’s income is someone else’s expense. Honesty and fairness are more critical to make this world a better place than saving or planning.
  • Respect: Earning a low income doesn’t mean not being able to manage money. Each programme is highly participatory and built from what people already know.
  • Role-modelling: we empower social workers, NGOs staff, low-income people who then positively influence their peers and families.

Money counts, people matter.