The Eastern Caribbean Currency Union’s Financial Information Month in October has been described as a great success.
That is the view of Mrs Ladesa James-Williams, President of the Antigua & Barbuda and Montserrat Bankers Association and Country Head of CIBC FirstCaribbean.
“All of the banks worked together in a collaborative manner and this year we focused on financial literacy with presentations to students at Ottos Comprehensive, Clare Hall Secondary, Glanville’s Secondary, Sir Novelle Richards and All Saints Secondary.”
However, Mrs. James-Williams said that this year the banks decided to do even more.
“This year we wanted to make tangible donations to various service groups and we look forward to engaging further with our clients and communities over the next few months.
As our final activity for Financial Information Month, members of the Antigua and Barbuda and Montserrat Bankers Association collaborated on a social responsibility activity where each institution adopted a deserving recipient.
The Caribbean Union Bank made a presentation of essential food items and toiletries to the Sunshine Home for Girls; Antigua Commercial Bank donated two Hampers assembled with items procured based on consultation with The Gender Affairs Division – they contain personal care items and non-perishable food stuff and was donated to two families in need, who are housed in shelters due to gender-based violence and CIBC FCIB selected Fiennes Institute and donated $5,000 worth of goods based on a list of needed items presented to the institution.
Financial Information Month (FIM) is a regional financial, economic, business and entrepreneurial education campaign executed in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) since 2002, through the collaborative efforts of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), ECCU member governments, financial and academic institutions, the media, other private and public sector institutions and community-based groups.
The Month forms part of an ECCU financial and economic education programme coordinated by the ECCB. The programme incorporates a series of initiatives designed to support the attainment of the goal of “a financially developed and vibrant ECCU region that fosters strong and sustainable economic growth and the improved well-being of the citizenry.”
The theme of this year’s Financial Information Month was Financial Empowerment through Education Area of Focus: “Wealth Creation for Financial Resilience.”
