The expanded JA SparktheDream programme was commemorated today during a business community luncheon in Ho Chi Minh City. The event formed part of a delegation to Vietnam, led by The Chief Executive, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, The Hon Mr John KC Lee, GBM, SBS, PDSM, PMSM and organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council. FWD Group Chairman of the Board of Directors, Professor Frederick Ma, GBS, JP, joined the business delegation and signed the memorandum of understanding on behalf of the Group.
Binayak Dutta, Managing Director, FWD Group, said "We're delighted to extend our partnership with JA in Vietnam. Caring for our communities, increasing financial literacy and educating the next generation for a brighter future is a responsibility we take very seriously at FWD.
"Through JA SparktheDream and its specially designed cartoon characters - Master Earn, Smart Spender and Super Save - we've made financial education relatable and fun for students. The next logical step is to extend financial education to the key role models in students' lives, like parents and teachers, which will widen and deepen the community benefit more broadly," added Binayak Dutta.
Maziar Sabet, President and CEO of JA Asia Pacific, said "The transformative power of education uplifts individuals and communities. The new parent and teacher training programme being developed in Vietnam embodies this principle by equipping those who shape young minds with the tools to foster financial literacy. Through the JA SparktheDream programme, we aim to build a generation of financially empowered children, capable of making informed decisions that benefit not only themselves but also the broader society. Junior Achievement Asia Pacific is honoured to work with a community-centred partner such as FWD in realising our vision to create a world in which young people have the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities."
The JA SparktheDream programme was successfully piloted in Hong Kong in 2022. It brings volunteers and students together in local schools to learn about managing budgets, making sound financial choices and solving their communities' needs in a creative way. Fun games and interactive quizzes leverage in-class and digital platforms. Overall, JA SparktheDream aims to benefit around 25,000 students across eight FWD markets in Asia by the end of 2024.
The programme was recognised with a Silver Award in the 2023 Investor and Financial Education Awards from the Investor and Financial Education Council, a subsidiary of the Securities and Futures Commission, dedicated to improving investor and financial education in Hong Kong.
In its first year in Vietnam in 2023, the programme reached close to 1,700 students aged 10-12 years old and included around 30 FWD volunteers. It also generated almost 200 student-led community improvement ideas which were submitted to the JA SparktheDream Social Challenge 2023 Asia Pacific competition, where a team from the Lac Hong Bilingual School in Vietnam was awarded second place.
About FWD GroupFWD Group is a pan-Asian life insurance business with more than 13 million customers across 10 markets, including some of the fastest-growing insurance markets in the world. The company was established in 2013 and is focused on changing the way people feel about insurance. FWD's customer-led and digitally enabled approach aims to deliver innovative propositions, easy-to-understand products and a simpler insurance experience.
For more information, please visit www.fwd.com
About JA Asia Pacific
JA Asia Pacific is a member of JA Worldwide, one of the world's largest youth-serving NGOs dedicated to preparing young people for employment and entrepreneurship. With the Asia Pacific region being home to 60% of the world's youth, JA Asia Pacific aims to empower young people to benefit from and contribute to the region's economic development and to create a positive impact in their lives and communities.
For more than 100 years, JA has delivered hands-on, experiential learning in work readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. We create pathways for employability, job creation and financial success.
For more information, please visit www.jaasiapacific.org