Gender and financial literacy training exercises In this PowerPoint you will find a series of images. Each image is followed by questions. Financial literacy trainers can use the images and the questions during their training of community members.

Guidance When working with images, it is best not to explain too much. You rather just show the picture to the group and then ask the participants: “What do you see here?” Stimulate people to react and share concrete experiences. This is a perfect start to introduce a topic. For example, the next image introduces the topic: where to save? Once the subject is introduced, you can ask the group (maybe in small groups) some more detailed questions related to the subject. We have added some suggestions to each image. Always end the exercise with a plenary sharing of insights and a summary of the main conclusions and lessons learned.

Keeping your money safe What do you see on the image? What can you do to keep your money safe? What are ways people keep their money in your community? What are the advantages and disadvantages of keeping your money at home? What are the advantages and disadvantages of keeping your money on an account in the SACCO? Are there other ways of keeping your money?

Family finance is a joint responsibility of man and wife together What do you see on the image? In your family, who is responsible for managing the family finance? Who has access to the SACCO or bank account in your household? Who controls the SACCO or bank account in your household? How have you organised access and control of household money in your household? Are there differences between men and women? Why? Is there a better way of doing it?

SACCO is for Rich and Poor alike What do you see on the image? Who can save in SACCO? Is SACCO interesting for poor people? Why (not)? Is SACCO interesting for rich people?

Costs and conditions of the services of a SACCO What do you see on the image? Do you know the costs and conditions of the services of your SACCO? What services from SACCO do you use? Has your SACCO informed you about the costs of these services? How? Do you know what you pay when you draw from your account? How much interest you get on your savings at SACCO? If you do not know prices and conditions of services from SACCO, do you know how to get this information?

The importance of asking questions What do you see on the image? Do you ever buy a service or product without knowing enough about it? Is it easy for you to ask questions in your SACCO? What are important questions to ask when you apply for a loan? (make a list) What can you do when you do not get proper answers to your questions? When you apply for a loan, do you go alone to the SACCO? Or do you take someone (a friend or your spouse)? Why?

The advantage of making a budget What do you see on the image? Do you make a budget for your household activities? What are the sources of income of your household? What are the main categories of spending in your household? What is a budget? What information does a budget give? Do you discuss the budget of the household with your wife/husband? Who decides? Identify ways to stay within your budget.

Saving and its benefits What do you see on the image? What is saving? Do you save? What is the advantage of saving? Is saving difficult? If yes, why? If no how do you deal with it? What can we do to overcome the saving barriers?   Note for the trainer: Introduce the 4 categories of reasons to save (unexpected future events, expected future events, long term goals and building assets).

Save before spending, instead of the other way round – know the 10/20/70 rule What do you see on the image? Do you have a strategy to follow when saving? How do you determine how much money you put aside for saving? What other kind of costs do you have? Do you save for special purposes or just in general? Does everyone in the family save? Share experiences. What do you think is the best way to do it?   Note for the trainer: Use this image to introduce the 10/ 20/ 70 rule. First take 10% for SAVING for long term goals, 20% for SOCIAL activities, emergencies, payment of loan and then keep 70% for household expenses (fixed and variable).

Making a financial plan to realise your goals What do you see on the image? Do you make financial plan? If yes share with us how you do it. What are your family goals? What can you do to achieve them? What is a financial plan? What are the advantages of having a financial plan? Do you make financial plans together with your spouse? Why (not)? What are the advantages of doing the financial planning of the household together with your spouse?

What is a loan? What do you see on the image? What is a loan? What are good reasons to borrow money? What are not good reasons to borrow money? What are the responsibilities of a borrower? What is the difference between money you own and money you borrow? What are the advantages and disadvantages of taking a loan?   Note for the trainer: These three images show people borrowing money to buy inputs for their maize-cultivation. Afterwards they pay back the loan with interest (note bigger bags in their hands!). They have used their loans well.

The importance of sticking to the purpose of the loan What do you see on the image? Did you take a loan? If yes how did you use it? What is the difference between spending money you saved and spending money you borrowed? Did you ever use money you saved for another purpose than what you saved it for? Did you ever use money you borrowed for another purpose than what you borrowed it for? Do you ever quarrel with your spouse about money? What can you do to prevent that?

Taking a loan = taking a risk What do you see on the image? How do you understand this statement“taking a loan is equal to taking a risk”? Explain by giving an example Imagine you take a loan. Which emergencies may prevent you from being able to pay back the loan or pay the instalment in time? What could you do to reduce the risk of not being able to pay back a loan or instalment in time? How much money should you save for emergencies?

All about Collateral What do you see on the image? What is a collateral? Why does the SACCO ask for a collateral when you want to take a loan? What assets you have which could serve as a collateral? Which asset would you put up as a collateral first? And which only as a last resort? Why?

When having problems paying your instalment, go and talk to SACCO What do you see on the image? What will happen when you fail to pay back on time? What can cause someone to default? What do you think SACCO will do when you tell them you cannot pay back your instalment in time? Do you know someone who has defaulted? What happened?   Note for the trainer: Message here is: when in default, normally SACCO will first offer you a rescheduling of the pay back of the loan and not immediately sell the collateral.

Educate your children how to save with a purpose What do you see on the image? Is it necessary to educate a child to save? Why is it important to teach children to save? Do you teach your children to save? How? What are good ways to teach children to save?

Images The trainer can download the pictures on: https://www.threemountains.academy/our-services/amashusho-ya-jenda-gender-images/. Once downloaded, the trainer can either print out the images or show them to the group on a screen. The trainer is free to update the documents by adding questions, images and other things which will help the training to be more efficient and effective.