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.

Our values

Impact

We focus on people and help participants to our programme analyse their financial problems and find practical solutions that work for them and their family. We use daily life language and situations and colourful pictures to make money less mysterious and build participants’ confidence.

Ethics

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. We are independent from financial services providers.

Partnership and role-modelling

We empower social workers, NGOs staff, low-income people who then positively influence their peers and families. We are building a network of like-minded organisations, pooling our respective expertise.