Stories
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.
The participants learned how to create a personal budget, set financial goals, differentiate between needs and wants, build an emergency fund, understand credit scores, explore investment options, and plan for retirement. Practical tips and real-life examples were provided to make the information relatable and easy to understand. Empowerment and Inspiration As the workshop progressed, a sense of empowerment filled the room as participants realized the impact that improved financial literacy could have on their lives. They were inspired to take control of their finances, make positive changes in their spending habits, save for their future goals, and work towards achieving financial stability. The workshop instilled confidence in them to navigate the complex world of personal finance with clarity and purpose. Conclusion In conclusion, the financial literacy workshop for Vryberg SASSA and Zeerust Hospital participants was a resounding success. It not only equipped them with practical knowledge and skills but also motivated them to take charge of their financial well-being. As they left the workshop with newfound confidence and determination, they knew that they were better prepared to build a secure financial future for themselves and their families.
The last few trainings,at Hammarsdale,we were invited by students at the TVET College,who wanted assistance with managing their stipends,they are doing brick laying course and plumbing,they recieve a stipend,and they live far from their homes,which means they are renting. When we started with needs VS goals,it was quite an interesting debate they had,looking at the cards and reflecting back to their own needs and wants. I loved the fact that they needed help,and they went out and looked for it,and found us to give them information so that it's easy for them to make the right decisions on managing their finances.
Had the opportunity to train with two Sanlam workplace teams from Qwaqwa and Sterkspruit. The modules covered were savings and investments, Boosting income and Funding funerals. The experience was awesome as the individuals were open and willing to learn despite the fact that they are financial advisers themselves. To begin with savings and investments their job responsibilities include recruiting and enrolling clients as investors with their company however on their personal level it is challenging to identify types of investments and their different interest rate percentage hence majority do not have accounts of their own. Secondly they mentioned that they are commission based income so their monthly pay is variable depending on the target they have reached therefore sometimes they experience the shortfall on the income and expenses becomes higher than money earned but from the session we identified ways one could boost their income taking into consideration their skills as individuals and geographical area and also reaching more than given target to reach could also boost income. Moreover the "Funding the funeral" was more interesting as their daily work is to sell policies, we got to discuss the WILL,it's importance and factors such as premium waver, policy crossover, underwriters and etc inclusive of the terms and conditions. The biggest motivation was to see the positive impact the training has brought to the members and lastly they requested us to train on TAX MATTERS before the return season" because most of them do not know how and where to start.
Sanlam Worksite Training Story: Welkom and Kimberley On the 7th and 09th of June 2024, I had an opportunity to train Sanlam employees in Northern Cape and in the Free State on Sanlam Worksite Money Modular 2, 4, 5, and 13 respectively. The turnout was very good people having travelled from far flanked areas within their districts and this showed me that the participants were eager and committed to learn and ready to acquire a new skill that will be beneficial in their daily personal life. We had a total of 79 participants combined. When we started, I made mention of the purpose of the sessions and the topics that will be covered and indicated to them that 'Financial institutions frequently inundate people and workers with offers of credit facilities and this often proves to be problematic if people do not have sufficient financial literacy knowledge. Without appropriate financial education, people run the risk of not being adequately prepared for future events such as paying for their children’s education, saving for the future and retirement, or coping with unforeseen emergencies. Financial stress influences other aspects of people lives such as health and productivity, which ultimately affect families, employers and the society in general". This led to participants opening up on some of their personal experiences. Since the Advisor's line of work is mostly based on targets and heavily rely on commission and their salaries fluctuating, they saw the saving and investing module being very important and insightful since it showed them the different saving methods that are available for them to save their money for unforeseen events and for future goals. Most of them are not currently saving even though they sell products to clients that relates to savings and investing. Boosting my income module was also received well in light of the fact that in some months where they don't receive business from signing up clients, they will be able to cover their expenses when they have additional income from their side "hustles". I gave them an activity on module 13 to prepare a funeral and to show the cost of a funeral. This gave them a real feel of budgeting/ financing a funeral and the realities associated with planning a funeral. One participant came to me after the session and indicated that she is expecting to receive money soon from Road Accident Fund and was not sure how to go about saving some of it and that now she attended these sessions she will do further research and explore the saving/ investing methods she learned in class. She indicated that this information came at right time for her, and she is very grateful. I also suggested that she should consult a registered Financial Advisor to see what options can suit her personal and family needs. The Managers also indicated that they haven't received these types of sessions for more than 13 years and their very grateful and wish Avo can conduct more sessions of this nature. Thank you AVO.
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.
