From learner to coach to role model: meet Channin.
From learner to coach to role model: meet Channin.
One thing the entire Good Return team will agree on is that, in our line of work, we never stop meeting inspiring women.
In this blog, we take a moment to highlight one of our latest learners, Channin. Channin recently graduated from a joint financial education project between Good Return and the National Bank of Cambodia to become a financial capability facilitator (coach).
Meet Channin:
Channin is a Member of the Girl Guides Association of Cambodia (CGAC). She is dedicated to improving the lives of young people and also works at the Cambodian Children’s Fund.
In February, Channin participated in three full and fantastic training days, facilitated by Good Return and the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), at the NBC Sen Sok Office. The goal of the sessions was to train leaders in the Girl Guides Association of Cambodia, like Channin, to become financial capability coaches. As coaches, they go on to build the financial literacy of Girl Guides aged 18-25 and their communities, including learning key skills about how to manage money and prepare for unexpected events in the future. The young women they train live in low-income communities, with little access to formal financial skills training.
New skills and planning for the future.
Taking 10 minutes out of the busy training schedule, Channin sat down with Good Return’s Communication Officer, Hannah McNicol, to reflect on her experience at the training. Channin explained that through this training, she had learnt a lot about the importance of financial literacy. In particular, she learnt about the obstacles that people living in poverty face when it comes to money management. Without basic financial education, like savings skills or knowing how to delineate between business and personal money, it is almost impossible to build sustainable pathways out of poverty. More practically, Channin enjoyed building new skills in financial capability. For example, she learnt more about Good Return’s My Money Tracker mobile application - that helps micro business owners to keep track of their household and business cash flows. She also learnt more about key money management skills including the importance of preparing financially for unexpected events and planning for the future.
The role of women in society.
Channin also explained that she is passionate about the role that women play in society. Girls become women, women become mothers and mothers are leaders. For Channin, women are key to a healthy society.
Consequently, Channin was excited about the relevance of this training to her role at the Girl Guides. Channin explained that it is key for young women, in both urban and remote areas, to learn how to manage and save their own money to both build their confidence and improve their living standards. Building financial capability skills is also crucial for young women who have caring responsibilities - so that they can build a good life for themselves, children and communities. Channin also believes that the women she works with will particularly benefit from the part of the curriculum that focuses on debt: as this can often be a source of family conflict.
Ultimately, Channin reflected on the fact that this knowledge should be available for everyone - no matter if you are: rural, urban, old, young, a woman or a man. She hopes to see financial capability being integrated into national curriculums moving forward.
Practical application and coaching techniques.
Excitingly, Channin also explained how one of her biggest takeaways actually went beyond the content of the training. Through observing the facilitators from NBC and Good Return themselves she learnt about public speaking and facilitation. For Channin, it was clear they are experts in financial inclusion and literacy. On that note, we thank all project implementers and facilitators of this training from both NBC and Good Return, including Mak Reaksmy, NGOURN VANRETH, Hang Pisey, Huy Panhavorn from the NBC team and Vannak Bun, Phaikdey UK, Maneth Pol , Sovann Khay and Sopha Phat from the Good Return team.
An update on impact already!
Finally, we are thrilled to finish the blog on an exciting note and highlight that recent graduates from the training have already been putting their new skills to use. Even though the training was less than a month ago, Mrs. Chantou, one of Channin’s fellow learners, has already conducted her first training with members of the GGAC last week! Vannak Bun, Good Return’s Cambodia Program Coordinator, who assisted with Mrs. Chantou’s first training as a coach explained ‘It is fantastic to see how the project’s impact continuously grows - as one learner becomes a coach themselves, and then goes onto teach a whole new group of women - who will then go on to share their new knowledge with their families and communities’.
The training was part of the wider, innovative ‘Let’s Talk Money: Little by Little’ project and campaign produced the ធនាគារជាតិ នៃកម្ពុជា - National Bank of Cambodia and Good Return in order to build financial literacy in Cambodia and promote discussion about financial issues affecting everyday lives.