L’Association Pour la Promotion de l’Education Chrétienne (APPEC) is an NGO based is Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. APPEC supports the activities required to give children and young people education opportunities in the most disadvantaged areas of DR Congo, while providing support to teachers. The organisation also promotes and implements programmes focusing on income generation activities for both pupils and teachers. Through a country network of local churches and communities, APPEC reaches out to its beneficiaries.
In 2014 APPEC became an Aflatoun partner and has since then developed an interest in income generation activities and financial inclusion. They attended our Training of Master Trainers in September that year and implemented Aflatoun and Aflateen in Kinshasa and other provinces, reaching more than 30.000 children and young people. Beyond the implementation of these programmes, APPEC is also building a network of local NGOs across the country to bring Aflatoun’s education to a larger population of children and young people and improve their chances of cooperating with financial partners.
Together with the Aflatoun Secretariat, APPEC supported GIZ and the Central Bank of DR Congo in developing content and approaches for teacher training as part of their national strategy for financial literacy. APPEC played a central role in relaying its experience and knowledge of the Aflatoun programme by providing guidance around content development and pedagogical approaches to teacher training. The NGO also made strong links with the Ministry of Education to seek opportunities to integrate social and financial education into the national curriculum.
In order to promote financial literacy, APPEC reached out to several financial institutions to develop savings products for the children and young people attending Aflatoun classes. These efforts led to a partnership with l’Association Professionelle des Cooperatives d’Épargne et de Credit (APROCEC) along with other private financial institutions. Every year, they celebrate Aflatoun Day together during Global Money Week with a focus on financial inclusion of children and young people.
