Abu Dhabi: Ma’an celebrates graduation of 144 participants who completed Ghaya financial literacy programme

Abu Dhabi: The Authority of Social Contribution — Ma’an hosted a graduation ceremony for the fourth cohort of the Ghaya Financial Literacy Programme, a three-month programme that aims to achieve a positive social impact by helping the members of the community in Abu Dhabi become financially savvy.

A total of 144 Emiratis and residents were celebrated during the virtual event, that drew the participation of 22 specialised volunteers. Ma’an has also announced the kick-off of the fifth cohort of the Ghaya Financial Literacy Programme.

Ma’an launched the initiative in 2020 in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Global Market Academy, and The London Institute of Banking and Finance (LIBF), and with the support of the Abu Dhabi Social Support Authority. Today, the programme is operated by the Emirates Association of Accountants and Auditors (AAA) and supported by the Department of Community Development (DCD).

Since its inception, the programme has continuously increased the number of beneficiaries, training a total of 490 participants over its four cohorts. In recognition of their efforts and support for the programme, the event also honoured the programme’s specialised volunteers who lead the delivery of the sessions and highlighted the contributions of its strategic partners and participating entities.

To ensure the efficient delivery of the programme, Ghaya assembles a team of specialised volunteers from prominent organisations including Credit Agricole Group, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, PWC, and Mubadala who take pride in contributing their valuable time and talent to improve the financial wellbeing of Abu Dhabi community.

To date, the programme has drawn the active involvement of more than 65 specialised volunteers who are professionals in the finance sector. These volunteers play an instrumental role in driving change in the community and contribute to building a financially-healthier society, through sharing their expertise with participants, teaching and guiding them throughout the course.

Volunteers are trained on the financial literacy curriculum by The London Institute of Banking and Finance (LIBF), to equip them with the necessary tools and knowledge to best support the participants. Upon completion of the programme, they are awarded a Certified Ghaya Volunteer Trainer digital badge by LIBF in recognition of their effort, which in turn enables them to showcase their professional ability in delivering financial literacy programmes.

The officials extended congratulations to the graduates for their commitment and acknowledged the contribution of the volunteers towards achieving the programme’s objectives.

“In today’s consumerist world, financial literacy has become an urgent priority to create a prosperous and stable society. To fulfil the aspirations of our wise leadership in building a secure and cohesive society, Ma’an realised the need to address this priority by equipping people with the right knowledge and skills to manage their finances effectively, while delivering a long-term positive impact on the financial resilience of the society,” said Maysa Al Nowais, community engagement director at Ma’an.

“Since its launch, the Ghaya programme has identified individuals facing financial difficulties as its primary target audience as part of our efforts to help the members of the community adopt financially responsible behaviour and make smart and informed financial decisions. Seeing the benefits of the program on participants, and in view of the overwhelming response from the public, we have allocated a number of seats for fresh graduates, job seekers, and Abu Dhabi government employees, and the wider public. We wish the graduates the very best as they navigate the financial landscape in their future with improved financial literacy and healthy spending habits,” Al Nowais said.