It’s a worldwide cliché that young people are spendthrift souls who don’t look after their money very well. I certainly remember having to teach my own children a thing or two about counting pennies.
It’s another cliché to say that the poor are unable to save; they live a hand-to-mouth existence in which putting a little money aside just isn’t possible.
Combine the two, and you’ll find a powerful myth that the young and poor of the “global south” are, from the point of view of financial inclusion, a very difficult “nut to crack” — at least until they are a little older.
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About the author
Tanya Barron
Tanya Barron is CEO of Plan U.K. since January 2013. Previously, she was international director at Leonard Cheshire Disability, and in 2003 was given the European Woman of Achievement (Humanitarian) award. Barron also holds various trusteeships and is currently a board member of the World Bank's Global Partnership on Disability and Development.
