Visa Inc in partnership with Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning has introduced the Visa football game, a software game to promote proper practices of managing money among the youth and adults. Kampeta Sayinzoga, the Permanent Secretary the Ministry of Finance said that the game will help people especially the youth to learn about their personal finance in a more fun and innovative way.“This initiative is another building block and strong foundation of financial literacy education,” she said during the game’s launch at Lycee de Kigali on WednesdayThe same way football as sport requires discipline, Kampeta who also doubles as the Secretary to the Treasury is optimistic that the game will boost financial literacy. “We believe that teaching financial literacy through the sport will be an entertaining way to impart essential money management lessons to Rwandans,” she added.The computer game is designed in a football form where players have to go through a multiple choice questions which enable them a chance to score or lose the goal depending on whether they have answered the questions rightly or wrongly.“I have learnt any mistake you make in planning for your money can have an impact in your lives, like in football where you lose a goal score,” Agnes Mbabazi, a Senior Five student of Lycee de Kigali said.The questions that the players have to answer cover a wide range of topics on finance such as budgeting, saving, how to prioritize money and what you need to do in case you lose your Visa electronic card.“Through this game a person is able to solve some of the challenges they have been facing in financial management,” Remy Iyikirenga, the Savings Coordinator and Promotion Specialist at the Ministry of Finance said.Iyikirenga said that the government has stepped up campaign to encourage more people to save and use financial Institutions which will help boost livelihoods of people .“Access to financial education is essential for economic progress and the most important tool for achieving financial inclusion is not a single product, it is knowledge,” said Ginger Baker, Managing Director of Visa Rwanda. Ginger is hopeful that the game will empower young people to have confidence while approaching their personal finance situations as it also creates impact towards promoting access to finance. This comes at a time the Fincope survey, findings show that the proportion of adults not accessing financial services or products reduced to 28 per cent equivalent to 1.3 million this year compared to 52 per cent who were financially excluded in 2008.
