PRU Life UK, through its community investment arm Prudence Foundation, has partnered with the British government to grant the Chevening Scholarship to financial literacy educator and two-time Cha-Ching awardee James Earn Esperida.

Chevening is a global scholarship program that offers future leaders an opportunity to achieve a one year postgraduate degree in one of their partner universities in the United Kingdom (UK).

Esperida will pursue a master's degree in International Development and Education at the Newcastle University. He plans to use it to introduce a research-based project that will strengthen the partnership of international organizations, national government, and private institutions to improve the quality of education in the Philippines.

“This is a fulfilling moment as a teacher to be recognized for my work and dedication in financial literacy,” Esperida said. “Being a Chevening scholar will help boost my leadership, networking skills, and students’ learning experience.”

Money smart kids

In 2015, Esperida looked for a company that aligns with his advocacy of raising financially literate schoolchildren in Camarines Sur. He learned about the Cha-Ching program and was able to successfully accredit Pagatpat Elementary School as the first and only beneficiary in the province.

A year after integrating the program in the school’s curriculum, he supplemented it with students and parents’ conferences, money smart camps, fairs, and school-wide contests. To boost students’ financial literacy, their faculty expanded their partnerships with community stakeholders, local government unit, educational institutions, and other private organizations. These efforts earned Esperida Cha-Ching’s Most Distinguished and Outstanding Financial Literacy Educator awards.

“I believe that financial literacy should not only be taught, but modeled. This is why I am making it a part of my life. I demonstrate the four fundamental financial skills of earn, save, spend, and donate for my students, parents, teachers, and the community to emulate,” added Esperida.

Shared advocacy

With his success in the program, Esperida started his own financial education project -- KU.WA.R.TA (KUmita, WAis na paggasta, Responsableng pag-ipon at TAos-pusong pagtulong), inspired by Cha-Ching. To boost his project, he developed a financial learning resource as output of his postgraduate research.

“Pru Life UK is proud that Cha-Ching has inspired James in furthering our shared advocacy in financial literacy among the youth,” said Pru Life UK Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Marketing Officer Allan Tumbaga.

“As part of We DO Education, we continue to promote education and financial literacy by giving a larger platform to advocates like James, who has been a determined educator for years,” he added.

Esperida is one of the two Chevening grantees who are co-funded by Pru Life UK. The second scholar is Mel Fatric Rhai Yan, an education advocate and a Senior Program Officer at Ramon Aboitiz Foundation.

Pru Life UK is the first life insurer in the Philippines to partner with Chevening.

Meanwhile, as a consistent partner, Prudence Foundation has supported 126 students from Asia since 1997. This year, their scholars are part of 28 grantees from the Philippines. (PR)