Empowerment can take many forms. At Camp Sizanani, we teach young people that they have the power to change their futures by making healthy, educated choices. Once youth have internalized that understanding and responsibility, they are hungry for the tools to operationalize it. Our Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship Clubs provide a set of tools that are new and powerful, training program participants in financial literacy and basic business skills. After completing the club program, children are equipped to benefit from economic opportunities and formal financial inclusion, which ultimately boosts their chances for sustainable livelihoods and a path out of poverty.
Global Camps Africa launched the Epstein-Brill Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship Program (FLEP) in 2016 through the generosity of two donors, because we believe that the provision of skills and training that empowers youth to create pathways to sustainable livelihoods is critical to achieving our mission of equipping disadvantaged youth with the tools to lead healthy, empowered lives and make a positive impact in their communities.
Camper Naledi* was part of the first group of FLEP campers. She is 17 years old and lives with her mother and siblings in the township of Poortjie outside of Johannesburg. Participating in FLEP has changed her life in profound ways...from how much food her family has to eat to her dreams for the future. Read her story here.
- FLEP's program design includes the facilitation of our Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship curriculum (22 sessions), which is delivered by our specially trained counselors who have all completed the curriculum themselves.
- Following the completion of the curriculum activities, youth participate in guided business plan development in self-directed groups.
- After feedback is given and refinements made to each group's plan, microloans are granted for businesses to launch at a community market day organized by Global Camps Africa.
- The FLEP pilot (September 2016 to May 2017) yielded very positive results, and the teaching tools were revised to address the identified areas that required improvement.
Global Camps Africa is now well positioned to scale up our Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship Program to reach significantly more youth.
Our goal is to scale this program up in the coming year and train 100 more youth. We will support the development of 20 new business plans, and grant 20 new microloans.