Stories
We travelled to Mafikeng on the 12 & 13 0f August 2024 respectively to empower our participants with financial skills and financial Knowledge. We had a very energetic and smart engagements from young graduates who are doing internship with the department of Human Settlement. The participation was great, and delegates asked relevant questions. The tools we used helped participants to understand the content better. Ms Tiisetso Lerumo 23 year old participant said that she has learned a lot from the sessions, the session that stands out for her is on budget. she said that "A budget helps create financial stability. By tracking expenses and following a plan, a budget makes it easier to pay bills on time, build an emergency fund, and save for major expenses such as a car or home. Overall, a budget puts a person on stronger financial footing for both the day-to-day and the long term". Thank you to Avocado Vision and Sanlam for empowering our work force and helping South Africans to manage their finances well.
I had a privilege of training the staff of Ehlanzeni TVET colleges ( Nelspruiit, Mashishing, Kamhlushwa ,Barberton & Acornhoek campuses). The staff was was welcoming and eager to learn . The staff consisted of people of all ages, from interns, young professionals to the ones preparing for retirement. The workshop included topics budgeting, needs & want , setting financial goals etc. Real-life examples on different topics were used like the debt, one of the participants indicated that "Debt is like quicksand, The more you struggle, the deeper you sink." He also indicated that interest rates can sweep away your financial stability if one is not careful. Another participant also gave a personal example that he previously bought a car and ended up struggling to make ends meet, he ended up selling the car and bought a smaller/ affordable one. His story served as a sobering reminder of the danger of unchecked cost of debt. The conversation then shifted to budgeting, importance of tracking income and expenses, setting financial goals, and creating a realistic spending plan. The workshop participants were encouraged to share their budgeting challenges. Some admitted to impulse buying, while others struggled with saving for emergencies. Different saving tips, such as using budgeting apps, setting up automatic savings transfers were shared. With all sessions the mood became more serious when the topic of Wills and Insurance was introduced. We all agreed that these two topics might seem like distant concerns, but they are crucial for protecting/ taking care of our loved ones when we no longer can. We also agreed that Insurance is a safety net. It provides financial protection in case of unexpected events like death, accidents, illnesses, or property damage. One attendee gave an example that "Insurance is like a seatbelt, You hope you'll never need it, but you're glad it's there when you do." In conclusion participants asked questions about everything e.g. high interest rates to retirement planning. One lady who is preparing to retire soon was grateful that ABSA staff was there to guide her with her retirement plan. I liked the fact that participants were able to share real life issues and were able to provide clear and actionable advice to one another. I believe that the when attendees left the workshop, they carried with them a newfound sense of financial empowerment. The workshops had been more than just an information-sharing session. It had sparked a community of people committed to taking control of their financial futures. They carried with them the seeds of financial wisdom, ready to cultivate them into a harvest of prosperity.
The month of July we trained Amanazaretha youth (Shembe Foundation) and community youth as a whole.As a trainer I learnt a lot this month about the Shembe church and how they do things. The youth was very appreciative of the sessions we brought for them, especially when it comes to budgeting,some would even comment that,they wished they had been taught these skills in high school because they would've avoided a lot of things,especially being in debt.when we did the pre assessment, the question "what to do if you cannot pat your installments" which is the 5th question,most of them would say "change my phone number" After the training though,their responses to the very same question would differ,giving us evidence that they have learnt something new,and behavior has definitely changed.we are really making a difference,one session at a time.
SANLAM Amana/ Shembe CFE training took place in the month of July at Inanda where approximately 80% of the community are members of the Shembe Church and the month of July is regarded as a religious period for the its members so this was part of Community Development initiatives by the church. We covered both rural and urban areas, mostly youth in the company of both Sanlam/Safrican and Shembe Foundation representatives who coordinated all the sessions and made sure that the logistics are in order and the venues are conducive. Amongst all 9 groups trained, the group from Amatikwe stood out. Firstly, in all sessions they were punctual which showed the eagerness and the respect they have for educational engagements. Infact, only one session was scheduled for that area but on the next day we were called to come back as they had more than 40 youth who were already at the venue by 8am to attend because they heard from their peers that they attended a very informative session the previous day and did not want to miss out so I had to take that group, unfortunately the hall was not booked for that day but they did not mind being trained in the shelter that was outside the hall and they stayed till the end without complaining. The most interesting topics were the one on needs/wants and boosting income. There was an argument on whether education is a need or a want? Few participants raised their opinions against it being a need as most of them are unemployed graduates and they strongly justified that there are many successful people who are not educated but the other participants who were for education being viewed as a need came up strongly with valid points which made the opponents realise that as much as there are many uneducated successful people but there will always be a need for some form of education for a wholesome and lasting success. Participants were also motivated and gained back confidence when I shared the ways of boosting their income by selling their talents and skills. This was an eye opener as they could see that even in the plight of the high unemployment rate, there are still other opportunities they can explore. All in all, the Amana/Shembe project was an inspiration to both participants and facilitators as most post training comments were heart warming and made us very proud that we played a role in empowering the youth of our country.
We were invited by the Mafikeng Police Force on the 4th of June 2024 to empower them with financial skills and financial knowledge. We had a great time with the men and women in blue uniform. The level of participation was heartwarming and the tools we used helped participants to understand the content better. We were talking about Budgeting and Saving & Investing. We all agreed that a budget is the foundation of your financial life—it's there to help you build your spending and saving habits. It can help you direct your income toward your needs and wants, and steer clear of overspending and consumer debt. Whereas Saving and investing are both important to consider in your future planning. Through saving money, your money is kept safe, and easy to access should you need it. By investing early over time, your money grows in value, benefiting from the magic of compounding. Participants enjoyed the training and requested that we must come at least once a month, great session indeed! All participants received a certificate and light lunch was served.
Training clientele money fosho was a very great opportunity as I managed to train number of community members of different set ups . I trained college students who are doing their last year at college and trained high school drop outs , trained unemployed community members and Self employed community members who are 800 in Gauteng. The experience was great at times it was so challenging as many were frustrated because we were talking about money skills and they don have money , others are retranched, indebted participants wished they were trained and informed about this information of shopping around for the best bank accounts, many were greatfull about the activity of needs a d wants aswell as being given a chance to draft their funeral budget plan to explore claim process, underwriting of policies and to know about FSCA. Many of the trained participants promised to practice the budget plan , boost their incomes
Traveled from the Free State Province to the Northern Cape Province to facilitate training sessions on modules 2, 4, 5, and 13 for Sanlam employees. The team welcomed me with a warm reception and actively engaged throughout the entire session. One participant expressed gratitude for the insightful training and suggested the need for additional sessions of a similar caliber. Subsequently, same modules worksite training was held in Bloemfontein, with the role play centered on funeral arrangements in module 13 being particularly remarkable. The Sanlam team displayed remarkable talent, immersing us in a vivid portrayal of the complexities and emotions involved in planning a funeral(I wish I could share the video, it was captivating). This experience emphasized the importance of insurance coverage for both ourselves and our loved ones. The team remained fully engaged until the end of the session, their enthusiastic response to the training deeply moved me and even brought tears to my eyes as I hear them explaining the profound impact the training will play on their lives and transforming their perspectives on life itself. Thank you Avocado Vision!
The Money Fo Sho training was done on the 29th April in the deep rural area of Umzinto in a place called Mistake Farm as per client iTOO's request that we train the rural community. The turnout was good though we had 30 learners instead of the 32 expected but there was a confusion around the class number and that was the reason we did not have the target of 32 as requested. What touched me most about these participants is that, most of them had either Grade 12 or Tertiary qualification but were unemployed, living in that remote area with less resources and job opportunities was frustrating and they were over the moon about this opportunity. The Budget and Boosting my income were the most interesting topics of the day as we debated about having a shortfall instead of a surplus in your budget and how living a lie(shortfall) may destroy one's life if not quickly attended to. The youngsters were also very much excited to learn about setting financial goals using the SMART principle and the importance of classifying them according the the duration so as to help them set goals according to their current financial statuses. Much insight was gained and the participants were thrilled to bits and even asked that we come back to conduct more training as they felt the whole community needs the financial skills, moreover they do not get much of such trainings in the rural areas.
It was a remarkable gathering in the community of Botshabelo village, where I trained Money fo Sho module. The other two participants traveled from Zastron, an hour's drive from Botshabelo, which was truly heartening to see individuals making such an effort to attend my sessions🙂. One of the attendees expressed that "she does not regret coming, as she came directly from her night shift to the session, and she will certainly recommend it to others."It was truly one of the most memorable lessons I have had. Avocado Vision, thank you for empowering our communities with the skills and knowledge to make informed decisions about their lives, especially when it comes to finances.
