EFSE and Mobiasbanca Advance Financial Education in Moldova

The Development Facility of the European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE DF) teamed up with Mobiasbanca – Groupe Société Générale to promote financial education among young people in Moldova, especially with regard to secure cashless banking. The “My First Card” campaign, which consisted of a series of lectures, workshops, and an essay competition, reached a total of more than a thousand participants across the country. A celebratory event at the bank’s premises in Chișinău on 20 December 2018 concluded the campaign, where prizes were awarded for the best essays on financial topics. The EFSE DF offered full and partial college scholarships to the winners, complemented by access tickets to international trainings organized by project partners.

Also supported by AVI Moldova NGO, the project team visited twelve colleges, universities, and other educational institutions across Moldova to speak with students about the security and reliability of using payment cards instead of cash. In a country where only one-quarter of the under-25 population report owning a debit card, the campaign aimed to increase the awareness of young people – especially in rural areas – for options to manage their finances within the formal banking system.