Félix Yao joined Aflatoun International Global Network Board in 2019. He has over 30 years of experience in pedagogy and national education, including 10 years of focusing on financial education. Félix has served as the Coordinator of the Financial Education Program for the Ministry of National Education, the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire since 2012. He is the author of two guides: Top Budget – Where does my money go? and Personal Finance: Practical tips and tricks.
Why Aflatoun International?
Aflatoun works globally for quality and inclusive social and financial education for all children and young people. This combination is unique and important.
What will be your focus as a board member?
I represent partners in the Francophone Africa region. My focus now and in the years to come, is to successfully integrate social and financial education into financial education programmes and school programmes in French-speaking countries. And I’m doing this because it will greatly benefit children and young people.
Why is social and financial education important?
Social and financial education is important and it is especially important for children and young people from an early age. It gives them the knowledge and skills that will help them throughout their lives -making them socially and financially independent so that they can act as agents of change in their own lives for a fair society. It thus contributes to helping children and young people to build their social and economic citizenship.
What do you like most about Aflatoun International?
I highly appreciate the quality of the content and the possibility to contextualize the content. This flexibility makes it possible to take into account specificities such as the culture and the environment of the learners.
What is something education NGOs have to deal with that you want to fix?
NGOs are faced with the issue of training and capacity building. We are working with the Aflatoun International Secretariat to provide a lasting response through the training of trainers in French-speaking countries. To this end, some countries have already benefited from the training of trainer’s sessions. We will continue to focus on this.
What is your philosophy of life?
Socially and financially independent children, young people and adults who act as agents of change in their own lives for an equitable society.
How do you see the future of Aflatoun?
I think Aflatoun International has a bright future ahead of it. It is increasingly recognised as the world benchmark in social and financial education. And we are making great strides in French-speaking countries. Together, we will go far.