Students from IAINU Tuban and Undaris Semarang International Community Service Programme Introduce Financial Literacy and the Joy of Saving at SB At-Tanzil Malaysia

International Community Service students from IAINU Tuban, together with students from Undaris Semarang, conducted educational activities at the At-Tanzil Guidance School in Malaysia. These activities focused on financial literacy and saving, as well as teaching migrant children how to make piggy banks from used bottles. In financial literacy sessions, children are taught about money, when money was invented, and the difference between needs and wants. They also learn the importance of setting aside pocket money and simple ways to save to achieve their small dreams. The activities are packaged with games and light discussions so that children can understand the material easily and enjoyably. After the literacy session, the students guided the children in making eco-friendly piggy banks from used plastic bottles. The children decorated their piggy banks with coloured paper and stickers, then wrote down the ‘little dreams’ they wanted to realise through saving. The piggy banks were taken home to serve as reminders to continue saving. “Through financial literacy and this simple piggy bank, we want migrant children to learn that saving is fun and can start with small things. Hopefully, they will grow up to be a generation that is wise in managing finances and cares about the environment,” said Dita Ayu Anggita Sari, a student at IAINU Tuban who is participating in a community service programme in Malaysia. Adding to this, Citra Fauziyah from Undaris Semarang also said, “We are happy to be able to share our knowledge and creativity with the children here. We hope that the piggy banks they make can be a small step towards realising their big dreams in the future”. With this activity, the international community service programme students hope that programmes such as this can be continued on an ongoing basis so that children will learn to love saving from an early age. Author: Dita Ayu Anggita Sari