SmarTrade Ipon Challenge teaches kids the value of saving

In line with its advocacy to promote financial literacy of Filipinos, SmarTrade, in partnership with ATFX Cares, recently launched its latest CSR program designed to encourage kids to save and learn about money management.

In its pilot event, SmarTrade Kids Can Save Ipon Challenge reached 160 children, aged 3 to 10, from Barangay Don Galo in Paranaque City.  Each child was given a coin bank and was asked to put a portion of their daily allowances into it.  At the end of the one-year challenge, the child with the most amount of money saved will receive a prize.

Held at the Don Galo gym, in collaboration with Paranaque City Councilor Jomari Yllana and Don Galo Barangay Chairperson Marilyn Burgos, the event is just the first of many rollouts SmarTrade envisions to empower our Filipino children and youth.

“Teaching young kids about the importance of saving money is a valuable life skill that can benefit them in the long run. From a young age, kids need to learn the basic principles of budgeting and saving money,” says Joyce Mayo, President & CEO of SmarTrade.  “This way, they will have the necessary tools to make informed financial decisions as adults.  It will also help them avoid future financial hardship and establish a secure financial future.”

“We are thankful and blessed to have partnered up with SmarTrade. Giving back to the community and seeing the kids happy and having fun is the greatest gift,” says Councilor Yllana who was joined by Abby Yllana.

Aside from providing the coin banks, SmarTrade hosted a short program for the kids which included a brief talk by Mayo on the value of saving, mini games, and a magic show.

As part of its other CSR project, the SmarTrade Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the children were also served a nutritious meal of champorado and milk, and given bags of healthy food to bring home.

SmarTrade, a financial consulting firm, is the educational partner in the Philippines of globally-acclaimed broker ATFX.  The company offers free learning sessions and one-on-one coaching on online trading and other investment topics.   As a way of giving back to the Filipino communities for the support they’ve been receiving for the past five years of providing financial literacy, SmarTrade, together with ATFX Cares, the CSR arm of ATFX, embarks on several outreach projects each year.

“We really look forward to more collaborations like these in the future,” says Mayo. “We are grateful to our partners from ATFX and the LGUs for allowing us to take part in these initiatives as we pursue our vision of serving the many sectors of our country through financial education. Money management is such an important topic to learn and what better way than to build these foundations early on.”

To know more about SmarTrade, its services and various initiatives in nation-building and spreading awareness about financial education, visit www.smartradeph.com.