History

Aflatoun started in Mumbai, India, in 1991 as an action research project by Jeroo Billimoria who at that time was working at the Tata School of Social Studies. She began a project with schools to bring rich and poor children together to learn about each other’s lives.

In 1993, inter-ethnic riots in Mumbai prompted the programme to combat prejudice and discrimination through rights education. Expansion into rural areas was driven by the migration of entrepreneurial children to cities, leading to the incorporation of savings groups in 2001.


The global era began in 2005 with Aflatoun’s incorporation in Amsterdam by Jeroo Billimoria. A campaign for Social and Financial Education, launched in 2008 by Princess Maxima of the Netherlands, exceeded its ambitious targets.


In 2011, Aflateen for young people and Aflatot for toddlers were introduced, broadening the curriculum. By 2016, Aflatoun International aimed to reach 20 million children and young people by 2020, promoting citizenship and empowerment worldwide.

The Aflatoun character, representing a fun-loving spirit, derives its name from a Bollywood movie and the Greek philosopher Plato, symbolising idealistic citizenship.

Do you want to join the movement? Contact us noW!

  • I give permission to temporarily store my data so Aflatoun can contact me.
  • We ask for your permission to store your data with regard to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Read more about our privacy policy in our Privacy Policy.