Key Takeaways from the #BrightFuturesReport

Last night, at #FinclusionWeek I had the privilege to share insights from the Bright Futures program —a transformative financial literacy initiative for garment workers in Vietnam. Here are the key points:

The Challenge: Many factory workers, especially women, face financial instability, compounded by limited access to formal banking and the pressures of societal expectations. The COVID-19 pandemic made this even harder, pushing many into cycles of debt.

The Solution: Bright Futures addresses these issues with a human-centered design approach, empowering workers through peer-led financial education. The program focuses on building financial resilience by aligning workers with their “money personalities” to foster better financial habits and planning.

Program Highlights:

Via #HumanCenteredDesign ways of learning & collaborating, over 2,000 garment workers participated in the pilot to date, enhancing their financial literacy through interactive, peer-driven learning.

The program has had a ripple effect—workers are sharing their knowledge with their families, creating a culture of financial awareness and change in behaviors. It tackles issues like reliance on predatory lending, financial communication taboos, and the need for accessible financial tools for better ‘family-centric’ financial planning and management.

Looking Ahead: This initiative is not just about education—it’s about creating long-term change for good. We aim to scale the program to empower more workers in Vietnam, and who knows, across Southeast Asia, ensuring that financial literacy becomes the key to their economic resilience.

Excited to see where this journey leads and how many more lives we can positively impact!

Download Bright Futures Report here.

Thank you for your inspiration and partnership Agnes Ogallo, Celestine Mumbi Njuguna, PMP®, Edwin Mwai, George Joseph, IDEO.org, Nhu Vo, Doodle Design, Standard Chartered, Primark, Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI)

#BrightFutures #FinancialInclusion #DesignThinking #DoodleDesign #Empowerment #FinancialLiteracy #Innovation #Vietnam #SocialImpact #HumanCenteredDesign #FIW24 #vietnam #ECG