Efficient financial services can be a means to a more inclusive society that allows small businesses to be sustainable, isolated communities to prosper and emergency aid to reach those who need it.
Young leaders who have come up with financial solutions for making a more inclusive world have been given the opportunity to attend the One Young World 2018 Summit in The Hague on 17-20 October as part of scholarships given by Western Union, the global financial services company.
The Moving Money for Better Scholarship has been awarded to three leaders who have demonstrated a passion for creating social impact through financial inclusion. They have been identified as creative and innovative problem solvers with concern for local and global issues.
Three more leaders have been picked for a Western Union Foundation One Young World Delegate Scholarship, which was set up in response to the global growth in the movement of migrants and refugees. Around 65m people have been forced to leave their homelands and start life over. The three winning scholars were each selected for their work in having social impact in migrant or refugee communities.
Moving Money for Better Scholars:
Prakash Koirala, Nepal. Managing Director, FINLIT Nepal
FINLIT creates and disseminates tailored financial curriculum, content, and tools. Its grass roots programmes on financial literacy in hard to reach and those unserved areas tackle poverty reduction and help low-income people participate and feel included in Nepal’s financial system.
Nayab Jan, Pakistan. Business Development & External Relations Head, Community Support Concern
By extending micro loans to low income women, Community Support Concern fights for gender equality and poverty alleviation, following in the footsteps of Nobel Laureate and One Young World Counsellor Professor Muhammad Yunus.
Kate Crowhurst, Australia. Financial Capability Officer, Australia Securities and Investments Commission
Supports the National Financial Literacy Strategy through teaching programmes that have reached 70 per cent of educators in Australia and led to long-term educational change as young people have learned financial literacy skills.
Western Union Foundation Scholars:
Mirella Alexou, Greece. Programme Director, Emergency Response Centre International
She works with refugees who have made the perilous crossing from Turkey to Greece, many of them fleeing the civil war in Syria. She oversees search and rescue operations and supervises medical and educational programmes in refugee camps. She has assisted 55,000 refugees to date, many on the Greek island of Lesbos.
Sara Mardini, Syria. Volunteer Coordinator, Emergency Response Centre International
A professional swimmer and lifeguard, she works in project management and fundraising and is dedicated to changing the idea of societies of refugees in general.
Wu Chih-Ning, Taiwan. Co-founder, One-Forty
Moved to help Taiwan’s 700,000 migrant workers, she co-founded One-Forty to make “every migrant’s journey worthy and inspiring”. It holds culture sharing events for migrants and locals and runs an education programme of 80 courses and 150 online videos, helping migrants with Mandarin, English, business and computer studies.