Cultivating a savings culture in Malaysia by providing fun and educational financial empowerment workshops for kids.
Nina Othman
Nina is a seasoned entrepreneur, running businesses from events management, advertising, to kids party planning in Malaysia, a country where 86% of urban households have ZERO savings and only 1 out of 3 Malaysians has a savings account. With a Marketing Major, experience in entrepreneurship and a desire to tackle the growing problem of bankruptcy amongst youth under 25 in Malaysia, Nina came up with the idea of Grow the Goose as a methodology to improve the savings culture and, as a consequence, empower kids and teens to pursue their dreams.
Nina took part in SE Forum’s SE Outreach Accelerator in 2017.
Grow the Goose
In Malaysia, comprehensive financial education is only available in expensive private and international schools, but is not embedded in the public school system. Grow the Goose believes that every child, regardless of parents’ income, has the right to financial literacy and should be able to create a financially sustainable life for themselves and their community. So the company aims to provide all children with the knowledge to Save Diligently, Earn Responsibly & Invest Sustainably. This approach is adapted from the fable: ‘The Farmer & the Golden Goose” with the clear message: instead of killing the goose kids learn how to GROW the GOOSE (Goose here referring to one’s savings). Through financial empowerment workshops Grow the Goose supports youth to become financially disciplined by the age of 18. The SE Outreach Accelerator will provide Nina with the support and tools to accelerate Grow the Goose business growth and future social impact.
