Following are the issues and our activities that involve Children.

CUFA programs have a positive influence on children, mainly in terms of financial literacy education, by design or as flow on effects from another activity.

As children and youth currently form large proportions of many societies, it is important to ensure that quality education and training will equip them for the financial challenges that they will face in the future. For example, by 2015 children under 15 years are expected to represent 30 to 40% of the populations of Cambodia, Timor Leste and the Solomon Islands.

To equip children with sufficient education and life skills to deal with the challenges they may face, it is necessary to start financial education from a young age. By learning savings concepts, understanding the value of money, and having experience with a financial institution by operating a savings account, these foundation skills will contribute to potential financial independence during adulthood.

Child savers increase membership of community based credit unions, and their savings in turn help the community to generate a greater savings pool, which can be mobilised as credit. Children’s financial knowledge also flows on to their parents.

Our most direct work with children is in Cambodia through the Children’s Financial Literacy Program. Each year 6000 children are involved in programs delivered by CUFA staff in primary schools throughout 3 provinces.

In Australia, CUFA provides educational material for credit unions to provide to their members and community, which features self-paced financial literacy web sites designed for various age groups of children from 6 years of age to 15, and also for youth to 25 years of age.