Good Return

Good Return was recently commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with funding from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), to carry out an in-depth evaluation into whether a behavioural-based financial literacy curriculum can influence individual decision-making, to foster healthy financial behaviours in Cambodians. Our team carried out extensive in-depth research, including focus groups with households and garment factory workers, interviews with key stakeholders such as financial literacy coaches and the National Bank of Cambodia, Samrong Tong Disabled Persons Federation (OPD) and Koampia Phum Yoeung (KPY). Learner questionnaires were also conducted both before and after completing training. We evaluated three different groups - those people who have received comprehensive behavioural-based coaching, those who have received a short light-touch training, and those who have received no training at all. The project was presented yesterday in a workshop with dignitaries from the Royal Government of Cambodia, Cambodian financial institutions, the UNDP and many others (pictured here). It was exciting to be part of such an interesting evaluation and we thank the UNDP for allowing us to carry out the study.

Our team in the Philippines is expanding and we are looking for a Philippines Country Coordinator. This is an exciting role, managing our local financial capability and inclusive finance projects. This includes our Investing in Women initiative with the Australian Government and APPEND., which will use campaigns to highlight positive examples of gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in the Philippines. Find out more about the role here: https://lnkd.in/g9kAwziW

Do you have a back up plan for life’s unexpected events? If you are excluded from the formal financial sector you are excluded from the protection of safe saving services or insurance. When a life event happens - your husband becomes unwell and cannot work, your storage barn is damaged in a fire, your crops fail due to bad weather - there is no back up plan. For many, the only option is borrowing money from informal and unregulated sources like loan sharks, creating a spiral of debt and further poverty. In this article, Good Return Program Director, Bénigne du Parc, looks at the reality for people who cannot access the banking system, and the vital work needed to build a bridge across that barrier. 

Good Return’s call for Human Rights Day: ⛓️💥 Every human deserves the right to receive an education.  AND ⛓️💥 Every person has the right to a standard of living which includes security and stability in the event of an emergency. Good Return’s Consumer Awareness and Financial Empowerment (CAFE) training prepares learners for any type of financial shock, whether it is due to a natural disaster which ruins precious crops, a death or illness of a relative or any situation that puts savings and income at risk. Sanjeeb Kumar Panthee, our Program Coordinator in Nepal, recently traveled to Musahar, one of the most deprived and disadvantaged communities in Nepal. He met with recent learners, Nepali Majhi (42 years) and her daughter Rita Majhi (27 years) who said that “savings are important for having a bright future and it also helps us to be prepared for any kind of financial shock”. They also shared that they now have the confidence to negotiate with a financial service provider, they now track weekly income and expenses, and they always look at different options before buying anything, and have even cut down on unnecessary spending. Rita and Nepali are part of a group of 42 learners (all women) from this community who have recently completed our ongoing CAFE financial capability training. Well done ladies and we love that our program is helping to give you the rights you deserve! If you want to give the gift of confidence then click here - https://lnkd.in/eAdNr4Bg - to help more women like Rita and Nepali.

We’re halfway through the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence and we spoke to our colleague Khristine Kay Lazarito about what’s happening where she works and lives in the Philippines. We were interested to hear that the Philippines actually marks two extra days to focus on the issue of human trafficking. “The 18 days of activism are marked at a national and local level in many ways in the Philippines”, says Kay. “Where I live, there is usually one activity per day, whether it be a symposium focussed on violence against women, a motorcade or lighting up important buildings with the colour orange.” “Importantly, every year there is a new law announced to tackle gender based violence. In fact, this year marks 20 years since the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act was enacted, which safeguards rights against abuses from intimate partners.” Kay is passionate about the need to have the two extra days to highlight human trafficking. “There is still low awareness of the issue of human trafficking, so this event is an important time to encourage open conversations and also see these issues are global”, says Kay. “In my role at Good Return, we’re looking at how we can work with financial institutions to monitor transactions that look like they could be related to human trafficking activities. We each have a role to play to protect women and children from being exploited for others’ profits.”

It was an absolute pleasure to raise a glass to 2024 with the effervescent Thinktank Property Finance team at our recent end-of-year celebration. Not only does Thinktank help to protect and grow livelihoods of women and their families with quarterly company contributions, they pledge an amount per successful application too. We honor businesses like Thinktank who make a difference as they grow, aligning to social purpose as one of their measures of success. Thanks Thinktank team!

Meet Lanies and her sister Kulati from East New Britain province in Papua New Guinea (PNG). These siblings have just completed seven weeks of Good Return’s Consumer Awareness and Financial Capability (CAFE) curriculum. CAFE is delivered in partnership with the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). Kulati lives with a disability and she proudly earns enough money to pay for day-to-day living costs by making and selling brooms. When asked about the impact of the training Lanies said “both of us learnt a lot of big and new things and we have seen big change. Kulati now has the goal to fix the house she shares with our aging mother.” As Laines is married with her own family, Kulati takes on the responsibility for their mother. Her newfound financial confidence has taught her valuable life skills like putting aside money each week from her broom sales, to go towards larger financial commitments like improving her home and her mother’s comfort. Good Return feels passionately about social inclusion and financial inclusion. With today being International Day of People with Disabilities, we are pleased to be able to offer our financial capability training to people like Kulati and to make an impact on their lives and the livelihood of the people around them. This GivingTuesday you could support more women like Lanies and Kulati - https://lnkd.in/eAdNr4Bg https://lnkd.in/gbeFtg9q

'President of Savings Club' is perhaps not a title seen every day on LinkedIn, but this role is a very important one when living in a remote village in the Solomon Islands. Catherine Alo runs her savings club in Gumu Village, Solomon Islands. Her village is a 4 hour boat journey from the main island and then a one hour trek through mangroves - a long way from any banking service. The club therefore plays a vital role in helping women come together, manage their money and plan for the future. To build her confidence, Catherine took part in Good Return’s financial skills training program called CAFE - Consumer Awareness and Financial Empowerment. She found the material in the booklet really easy to follow, particularly as the drawings and example reflected every day life in Solomon Islands. The impact of the training is three-fold. Firstly it has changed the way Catherine manages her own money. “I go to the market by the school and if I make sales, it is usually $100 a day. I spend some on groceries but now I make sure that whatever is left is separated into saving for emergencies or the next fortnight expenses.” Secondly, Catherine has made sure to share what she learnt with her family. She now notices her sons and daughters talk about money matters together and are always thinking of new ways to save money. And thirdly, her community savings group is going from strength to strength. The group now has 40 members, and with their fortnightly contributions they are now going to build a water tank and a community space to use as a local produce selling market. This giving season, you can give the gift of confidence and help communities like Catherine's plan and save for life's unexpected events. https://lnkd.in/eAdNr4Bg

With our focus on finance, there are quite a few handy number crunchers at Good Return. From measuring the improvement in financial capability amongst learners, to reporting to investors on businesses funded via our impact investment fund, numbers reveal the depth of impact of our work. With 2024 soon coming to an end, it is a great opportunity to reflect on the incredible achievements over the last 12 months and to celebrate the impact Good Return is having on the lives of the people we serve. Here are some highlights: 👏 4,425 people (80% women) gained new financial confidence by completing the Consumer Awareness and Financial Empowerment (CAFE) initiative 👏 17,679 micro-entrepreneurs downloaded the My Money Tracker app to keep track of their business income and expenses 👏 2,815 staff working for financial service providers were trained in social inclusion and safeguarding We would like to express our sincere thanks to our corporate purpose partners, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), and our amazing private donors and supporters. Our work is impossible without you. You can access the 2024 Annual Report here - https://lnkd.in/g3w2WgtG 

Our Cambodian team members are on the road speaking with people who have been part of different financial literacy coaching programs. The interviews and focus group discussions are part of a research project with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), looking at the benefits of behavioural based training methods, compared to non-behavioural based training, when it comes to boosting financial confidence and skills. The Royal Government of Cambodia implemented a 5-year National Financial Inclusion Strategy (2019-2025) which has involved multiple initiatives like these and the results are compelling. Access to formal financial services in Cambodia has risen from 59% in 2015 to 67% in 2022. We are excited to see the results of this project. All of us at Good Return are passionate about financial inclusion and the critical role it plays in social and economic development.