Insurance for kids: ‘The Giving Bowl’ aims to teach kids financial literacy

A new children’s book aims to teach the concepts of insurance for kids, and why it is necessary.

The Giving Bowl by author Christina Castle (of Foord Asset Management) and illustrator Carla Kreuser tells the story of insurance for kids and saving through the eyes of besieged animals.

Set in the jungle, Loerie, a jungle bird returns to the tree where her nest was built, only to find it on the ground.

The distraught bird is left to rebuild her home on her own, but she doesn’t have the right tools and resources.

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But a Pangolin who discovered the sobbing bird tells Loerie it is her turn to receive The Giving Bowl.

The story goes on to explain how animals from all walks of the jungle contributed and used the Giving Bowl in the face of different jungle-based catastrophes.

Castle said she had always wanted to write children’s books and The Giving Bowl is her gift to young South Africans.

“The book uses the analogy of animals to bring out the lesson of collaboratively putting money aside to use in the event of a catastrophe – as experienced by one of the characters,” said Castle.

“This of course is the basis of insurance – the pooling of resources to pay for events that are insured. An example would be your home being damaged by storm as Loerie (in the book) experienced.”

Financial literacy is one of the most important life skills you can give a child, yet it is often neglected.

Every year young adults complete school and enter the world of work and money without understanding how to make their money work for them.

Castle says the book, published in collaboration with Infiniti Insurance, also aims to instil a sense of saving for a rainy day from a young age as part of early, relatable, lessons in finance.

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