Two years ago, Tetiana could barely make both ends meet. Money seemed to vanish into thin air. Utility bills, grocery shopping, credit card minimum payments - and then emptiness again. She told herself that everything would be different that time every month, but it never went beyond promises. Tetiana felt exhausted and guilty towards herself, her family, and her son.
The changes came unexpectedly. Tetiana accidentally heard about free financial literacy training from the NGO Girls. At first, she didn't believe it would make a difference, but decided to give it a try. At the very first meeting, she was struck by the simple phrase: “Every hryvnia should know where it goes.” Tetiana came home, opened her laptop, and created a file in which she began to record all her income and expenses.
For the first time in a long while, she talked to her husband about money frankly and calmly without accusations and with a desire to understand. Together, they reviewed their budget, discovered how much was spent on the little things like coffee to go, food delivery, unnecessary subscriptions, and began to change their habits. First, they cancelled one credit card, then another. Tetiana opened her first deposit account, a small but stable one. The family managed to plan their budget three months in advance for the first time.
And then the most important thing happened. Her son said he wanted to study abroad. In the old days, this phrase would have caused Tetiana to panic, but not anymore. She asked him which country he wanted to study in, and then they calculated the cost together, determined how much they needed to save each month. And the dream turned into a real goal.
Now, every purchase in their family is a conscious choice. They have cut down on unnecessary expenses, started buying things according to a list, and planning large purchases in advance. They have a budget, a reserve fund, and even a “dream fund” for Tetiana, i.e., a personal account where she saves for a trip and a dream cocoon armchair. Because living means not only paying the bills, but also allowing yourself to dream.
“Now every morning I wake up with a sense of control, not fear. I know I can give my son a chance. And, most importantly, I believe in myself again,” says Tetiana.
This story is an example of how financial literacy can change not only the budget, but also lives.
The training was held as part of the project "Enhancing the safety, security and mental health of women and girls, as well as advancing their human rights" produced by the NGO Girls, funded by The United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) with technical support of UN Women Ukraine. It is a flexible and rapid financing mechanism supporting quality interventions designed to enhance the capacity of women to prevent conflict, respond to crises and emergencies, and seize key peacebuilding opportunities.
