The initiative aimed at Cape Verde, the birthplace of his parents, was explained through an interview, stating, “As a human being, you dream in a language,” and highlighting that when people are home contemplating expenses, they think in Creole, not Portuguese.
Reflecting on the project, “To bring this book into existence and see it reach schools is the best birthday gift I could give my father, the first person who taught me financial literacy, without even knowing the term,” he remarked ahead of the launch, which took place on Thursday.
The book was introduced on that day, an adaptation from a Portuguese version for schools, translated into Cape Verdean Creole. The presentation was coupled with a class delivered by the Governor of the Bank of Portugal, Mário Centeno, in Praia on Santiago Island.
Centeno plans to conduct similar initiatives today and on Saturday on the islands of São Vicente and Santo Antão, respectively.
On Thursday, a full auditorium at the new Liceu Cónego Jacinto hosted dozens of 11th-grade students for an economics class, where Centeno prioritized education and training for development.
“If this session were happening in 1990, a much smaller room would suffice, as many of you would have already begun working, shaping both your future and our collective one,” he noted, referencing past low qualifications that impacted the archipelago and Portugal.
Financial literacy finds its place in new curricula, with high school students receiving new material on the topic, eliminating the need to translate complex financial terms into their native language.
Dino queried, “What will happen in 10 years after these youths read in Creole something that enhances their money management skills?” He emphasized that translating financial terms into one’s mother tongue is a step towards inclusion.
“Creating this was one of the most gratifying tasks,” noted at Mundu Nôbu, an NGO founded a year ago with Liliana Valpaços, aimed at empowering underrepresented communities with thematic modules like financial literacy.
Initially, the aim was to bring Creole materials from Cape Verde to integrate them into the community in Portugal, but connections flourished, leading to material distribution beginning on the islands after five months of discussions between central banks.
“We all share the intent to acknowledge the importance of the [mother tongue] in Cape Verde and Portugal,” concluded Liliana Valpaços.
Mundu Nôbu, founded in Portugal, is expected to expand to the archipelago later this year.
