Aflatoun
Encyclopedia
Aflatoun is a non-governmental organization
focusing on educating children about their rights and responsibilities and managing financial resources through social and financial education. Headquartered in Amsterdam
, Netherlands
, Aflatoun currently works in 80 countries who are implementing the Aflatoun programme. Aflatoun is reaching 1 million children around the world and is helping over 400,000 of them save money and other resources.
and financial education. Through balancing social learning
and financial concepts
, the Aflatoun programme empowers children to believe in themselves, know their rights and responsibilities, understand and practice saving and spending, and start their own enterprises. These can include organizing social campaigns, setting up savings systems and starting small scale financial enterprises
. Through the notion of Social & Financial Education, children are empowered to make a positive change in their lives and in their communities, with the aim of ultimately leading them to breaking the cycle of poverty
in which many find themselves.
, an Indian national who grew up and worked among the street children
of Mumbai
. Seeing that many of these children were quite entrepreneur
ial, she thought it important that children be able to understand their self-worth, rights, and be able to manage their own resources.
The Aflatoun concept was first tested in India
18 years ago, introducing financial concepts in a school-based child rights
programme. Billimoria saw that the children reacted well to the games, activities and songs. Due to this success, other countries were approached to discuss whether a similar concept could bring the same benefits to their communities.
In November 2005, the Aflatoun Network was formally launched in Amsterdam, Netherlands. A global initiative involving ten more countries began, and today Aflatoun is active in 28 countries. In March 2008, Aflatoun's worldwide campaign for Child Social and Financial Education was launched with the help of the Netherland's Princess Maxima. It achieved its goals of reaching 75 countries and 1 million children by 2010.
movie they liked. Aflatoun was created to lead children through their learning journey and help to create emotional attachment between children and the program material. Thus, the Aflatoun character is the unifying symbol that brings together all the Aflatoun children around the world.
. Also included in the Aflatoun Network are stakeholders such as financial institution
s, microfinance
institutions, corporation
s, researchers, International non-governmental organizations, multilaterals and bilaterals, among others.
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
focusing on educating children about their rights and responsibilities and managing financial resources through social and financial education. Headquartered in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Aflatoun currently works in 80 countries who are implementing the Aflatoun programme. Aflatoun is reaching 1 million children around the world and is helping over 400,000 of them save money and other resources.
Social and financial education
Aflatoun provides children with socialSocial studies
Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
and financial education. Through balancing social learning
Social learning
Social learning may refer to:* Observational learning , learning that occurs as a function of observing, retaining and replicating behavior observed in ones environment or other people....
and financial concepts
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
, the Aflatoun programme empowers children to believe in themselves, know their rights and responsibilities, understand and practice saving and spending, and start their own enterprises. These can include organizing social campaigns, setting up savings systems and starting small scale financial enterprises
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
. Through the notion of Social & Financial Education, children are empowered to make a positive change in their lives and in their communities, with the aim of ultimately leading them to breaking the cycle of poverty
Cycle of poverty
In economics, the cycle of poverty is the "set of factors or events by which poverty, once started, is likely to continue unless there is outside intervention."...
in which many find themselves.
Background
The inspiration for Aflatoun comes from Jeroo BillimoriaJeroo Billimoria
Jeroo Billimoria is the founder and managing director of Child and Youth Finance International.She is also the founder of Aflatoun , Childline India Foundation and Child helpline international.-Biography:...
, an Indian national who grew up and worked among the street children
Street children
A street child is a child who lives on the streets of a city, deprived of family care and protection. Most children on the streets are between the ages of about 5 and 17 years old.Street children live in junk boxes, parks or on the street itself...
of Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. Seeing that many of these children were quite entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
ial, she thought it important that children be able to understand their self-worth, rights, and be able to manage their own resources.
The Aflatoun concept was first tested in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
18 years ago, introducing financial concepts in a school-based child rights
Children's rights
Children's rights are the human rights of children with particular attention to the rights of special protection and care afforded to the young, including their right to association with both biological parents, human identity as well as the basic needs for food, universal state-paid education,...
programme. Billimoria saw that the children reacted well to the games, activities and songs. Due to this success, other countries were approached to discuss whether a similar concept could bring the same benefits to their communities.
In November 2005, the Aflatoun Network was formally launched in Amsterdam, Netherlands. A global initiative involving ten more countries began, and today Aflatoun is active in 28 countries. In March 2008, Aflatoun's worldwide campaign for Child Social and Financial Education was launched with the help of the Netherland's Princess Maxima. It achieved its goals of reaching 75 countries and 1 million children by 2010.
Name and Character
The name Aflatoun was chosen by the children who first participated in the program in India and the character, a little fireball from outspace, is based on a BollywoodBollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
movie they liked. Aflatoun was created to lead children through their learning journey and help to create emotional attachment between children and the program material. Thus, the Aflatoun character is the unifying symbol that brings together all the Aflatoun children around the world.
Network
The Aflatoun Network is a participative and inclusive network of orgnaizations who bring the programme to children. The Aflatoun programme is delivered by local partners at the country-level as they best understand the local context. They become the owners of the programme, contextualising the materials and training teachers. The Secretariat in Amsterdam serves as a resource centre for the partners to facilitate information flow and capacity buildingCapacity building
Capacity building also referred to as capacity development is a conceptual approach to development that focuses on understanding the obstacles that inhibit people, governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations from realizing their developmental goals while enhancing...
. Also included in the Aflatoun Network are stakeholders such as financial institution
Financial institution
In financial economics, a financial institution is an institution that provides financial services for its clients or members. Probably the most important financial service provided by financial institutions is acting as financial intermediaries...
s, microfinance
Microfinance
Microfinance is the provision of financial services to low-income clients or solidarity lending groups including consumers and the self-employed, who traditionally lack access to banking and related services....
institutions, corporation
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
s, researchers, International non-governmental organizations, multilaterals and bilaterals, among others.
External links
- Aflatoun website http://www.aflatoun.org
- Aflatoun Mid-campaign video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO68eJZ6uKg
- Idealist.org: Aflatoun, Child Savings International http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Org/159997-291
- Changemakers: Aflatoun http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/node/53284
- The Economist: "Getting it right on the money" http://www.buffalo.edu/news/pdf/April08/EconomistMandellPersonalFinance.pdf
- Businessweek: "Commerce plaza puts kids in business", Page 3 http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/jul2009/pi20090722_191896.htm