Over 2,200 Migrant Women Workers in Dubai Financially Trained

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Mar 05, 2015, 07:00 ET

DUBAI, UAE, March 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Participants of Western Union's Apna Sapna programme confirm strong increase in commitment to personal financial management

On the eve of International Women's Day, the Western Union Company marked several significant milestones in their support for migrant workers in the UAE. Free training sessions have been conducted for more than 2,200 women in Dubai's labour camps, participants start defining their financial goals, and a survey reveals how the programme addresses a vital need among them. These announcements were made at Western Union's town hall-styled event held in association with the UAE Ministry of Labour, and attended by financial consultants, media persons, and a representation of migrant women workers.

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Launched in November 2014, Western Union's Apna Sapna ('Our Dreams' in Hindi and Urdu) is designed to help migrant workers develop skills to manage their finances and plan their future. In the three months since launch, more than 7,000 workers have successfully completed training. As a part of this programme, 2,200 women workers have been trained. Some of the women expressed their newfound confidence when they outlined their financial needs, goals and dreams at the interactive forum - aided and assisted by a panel of consultants and subject matter experts.

Concurrently, Western Union also provided top line results of a survey conducted among some of the women who recently underwent financial training. Almost all participants said the programme gave them the skills needed to plan their finances and support their long terms goals. While prior to the programme 51% of participants were able to save a part of their income, post training 99% of participants said they would be able to make some savings. Among them, the number of participants who plan to save 10 per cent of their monthly salary grew by 50 per cent, and participants who aim to save 15 per cent grew by 400 per cent. "I am a cleaner and I send home two thirds of my salary. It is hard for me to survive, but I am confident that with this training I will manage," said 24 year old Aisha from Kenya. The easy-to-understand training and the accompanying budget tracker were highlighted as the most appealing elements of the programme.

Western Union's team of executives who presided over the event concurred that financial planning goes a long way in helping migrant workers fulfil their goals.

"The enthusiasm with which people participate in sessions, the clear expression of their financial goals, and the resulting outcome of financial empowerment are important pointers to the continuing success of Apna Sapna," said Hatem Sleiman, Regional Vice President - Middle East, Western Union

Sleiman also pointed out the importance and impact of financial education for women, citing a recent white paper by Dr. Ismail Hakki Genc and Dr. George Naufal of the American University of Sharjah: Women are more reliable than men at remitting funds to their home countries - remitting more regularly and often sending a higher proportion of their income. While 95 per cent of women use their money to support households, 52 per cent have used it for unplanned emergencies. Sleiman said, "These remittances are often made with personal sacrifices and compromises, and financial planning is an essential tool to help them plan better futures for their families."

Apna Sapna sessions are currently being held in workers' accommodations across Dubai, for unskilled workers in the corporate and retail sectors. Prominent women's groups that have been trained include Filipinos, Indians, Kenyans, Sri Lankans and Nepalese.

Notes to editor

The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a leader in global payment services. Together with its Vigo, Orlandi Valuta, Pago Facil and Western Union Business Solutions branded payment services, Western Union provides consumers and businesses with fast, reliable and convenient ways to send and receive money around the world, to send payments and to purchase money orders. As of December 31, 2014, the Western Union, Vigo and Orlandi Valuta branded services were offered through a combined network of over 500,000 agent locations in 200 countries and territories and over 100,000 ATMs and kiosks. In 2014, The Western Union Company completed 255 million consumer-to-consumer transactions worldwide, moving $85 billion of principal between consumers, and 484 million business payments. For more information, visit http://www.westernunion.com.

Background Note

Western Union's Apna Sapna: Financial literacy programme, UAE

Western Union's Apna Sapna is a free financial literacy programme for migrant workers, endorsed by the UAE Ministry of Labour.

Translated as 'Our Dream' in Hindi and Urdu, Apna Sapna is part of Western Union's community outreach and corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts, and draws from their corporate signature: Moving Money for Better

Conducted in 8 languages, the grassroots training programme aims to drive financial awareness, education and adoption where it is most needed. It is versatile enough for every participant to be able to track their expenses and set targets for savings - irrespective of age, ethnicity, employment, or earnings.

The aim

Apna Sapna is designed to address the many challenges of migrant workers who are unsure how to achieve their goals, and yet, wish to build secure futures for themselves and their families. By providing them with financial training and tools, participants are enabled to make proactive and timely decisions with a view to improving their lives.

In particular, the programme is designed to help empower women and foster their financial independence in the future. According to a recent white paper released in the UAE^[¹^], migrant women are more reliable than men at remitting funds to their home countries, they contribute more to building human capital and living expenses, and they are also more likely to be a 'safety net' during financial emergencies. When women provide financial support to others, it is often at the cost of personal sacrifices and compromises.

Apna Sapna gives these women the tools and training to make smart financial decisions - as a means for them and their families to experience a better quality of life in the future.

The delivery

Conceptualised and customised by local financial experts, the grassroots training model integrates basics of financial planning and tracking, expense management, and prudent spending and saving. In summation, participants are taught how to manage their money better, in order to save some of it.

Training is typically delivered through face-to-face immersive sessions with small groups, and hosted at labour camps or workers' accommodations. Each session is facilitated by two trained independent volunteers, in addition to Western Union staff who assist when needed.

At the end of every session, participants are provided with an annual budget tracker, in a choice of 8 languages.

The scope

The financial literacy programme was launched in November 2014, and Western Union intends to train thousands of migrant workers residing in the UAE through the year 2015.

The pilot programme conducted in October 2104 recorded training sessions with 1,500 workers in a single month
A total of 7,000 men and women workers in Dubai have attended Apna Sapna training sessions
The current phase (ongoing) focusses on women workers, and to date, 2,200 women have completed financial training

^[¹^] Women Migrants, Remittances and Their Impact in the GCC Region: Towards a MoreSupportive Social and Policy Environment, by Dr. Ismail Hakki Genc - Professor of Economics and Dr. George Naufal - Assistant Professor of Economics, American University in Sharjah.

SOURCE Western Union