The Eastern Caribbean Currency Union’s Financial Information Month (FIM) of October has been described as a great success.
That is the view of 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, Glanvilles Secondary, Sir Novelle Richards and All Saints Secondary,” she said in a release.
However, James-Williams added 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,” she explained.
“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.”
As a result, the Caribbean Union Bank made a presentation of essential food items and toiletries to the Sunshine Home for Girls; and Antigua Commercial Bank donated two hampers with items procured based on consultation with the Gender Affairs Division to include personal care items and non-perishable food stuff. The hampers were donated to two families in need who are housed in shelters due to gender based violence. And CIBC FirstCaribbean donated $5,000 worth of goods to the Fiennes Institute based on a list provided by the institution.
According to the release, Financial Information Month 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 FIM 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 with the area of focus being “Wealth Creation for Financial Resilience”.
