Nassau, The Bahamas — Children of Kemp Road learned a valuable lesson of proper money management on August 14, 2010, when they were taught how to receive a paycheque, pay themselves, invest and pay bills before paying for entertainment.
The Kemp Road Urban Renewal and Creative Wealth Bahamas partnered with the Rotary Club of Nassau Sunrise to hold “The Money Game Workshop, ‘A Fun Financial Workshop for Teens'” seminar at the New Life Ministries on Jerome Avenue.
“It’s an interactive game that teaches teens and young adults about money, how to manage money, how to budget, how to balance a chequebook, to give them some financial literacy,” said Karen Pinder, president of the Rotary Club of Nassau Sunrise.
Kolamae Pedican, manager of the Kemp Road Urban Renewal Centre on St. James Road, approached the Rotary Club to hold the seminar for the young adults of the area in hopes they may pass on the knowledge to their family members at home.
“We started working with them last Rotary year when we met Kolamae Pedican and she came and spoke to our club. It was such a moving presentation that we decided we wanted to get involved and help her and the centre and the people surrounding the area,” said Mrs. Pinder.
The Rotarians believe that the partnership is beneficial to improving the lifestyle of the people of Kemp Road. After meeting some of the residents, they volunteered their expertise to change the mindset of youth attitudes to money.
“It is valuable information in helping them manage the money they are able to earn and the resources,” said Mrs. Pinder. After seeing a welcoming response from residents, they also dedicated their work to investing in other areas of educating Kemp Road’s youth.
“Often times what kids learn, they are very excited about new information and they can pass that on to either their mom or whoever is running the household and improve the overall situation of their lives,” said Mrs. Pinder.
This is the first time the Rotary Club has tried this programme in the Kemp Road area, so they plan to monitor what other methods are available to empower the area with life changing knowledge.
Rotarians partnered with Creative Wealth Bahamas to teach young adults the financial experience from an adult perspective in terms they can understand.
“We formed a link with Kayshel Carr, who runs Creative Wealth Bahamas, and she is instrumental and actually is one of the first persons who started financial programmes for young persons in The Bahamas,” said the Immediate Past President of Rotary Nassau Sunrise, Carla Card-Stubbs.
“We teach young persons literacy such as reading, writing, arithmetic, but we don’t teach them how to survive, we don’t teach them what their parents have to go through to get clothes for them, and to get school supplies. So, you’ll find young persons have unrealistic expectations. She created a programme that gives them financial understanding at their level.”
By Gena Gibbs
Bahamas Information Services
BIS Photos / Gena Gibbs
