One of the most important life skills is managing our finances. With rising living costs, every trip to the store is about stretching our ringgit.
This is why Lotus’s Malaysia has introduced the Smart Shopper Plus programme, a collaboration with the Pintar Foundation, aimed at shaping a financially literate future generation.
Azliza Azmel, corporate services executive director of Lotus’s Malaysia, shared: “Given the cost of living, we thought, why don’t we design something that will help them understand the value of financing?
“Things are very expensive. I think especially when you’re B40, it can get very frustrating.
“So, with this workshop, we’re giving students the chance to understand that if they need something, they can get it from being very smart at spending money and saving up for what they want.”
The programme is fully funded by the Ceria Charity Run 2024, which saw more than 4,000 runners and 120 participating brands come together to raise RM400,000.
“Our Ceria Charity Run began with the aim of bringing communities together for a healthier cause, where RM20 from every ticket sold goes to under-resourced students,” Azliza added.
Lotus’s Smart Shopper Plus was officially launched on Aug 14 at SMK Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah in Kajang, where more than 50 students aged 10-15 gathered in teams, exercise books in hand, as they followed the interactive modules.
Students began with a pre-module quiz to gauge their knowledge, before volunteers guided them through lessons with real-life scenarios, and practical calculation exercises on everyday savings.
The workshop will be rolled out across 40 of Lotus’s adopted schools, many of them for the underprivileged, reaching over 6,400 students from both primary and secondary schools.
Phase 1, the current workshop, covers four modules: distinguishing “needs” from “wants”, smart budgeting, smart spending, and lessons on cost comparison and packaging awareness.
A student representative later told FMT Lifestyle: “I’m happy because I’ve learnt new things that will help me avoid wasting money. And I plan to share what I’ve learnt with my parents and friends.”
Azliza expressed her delight at how it all turned out. “I was so surprised by the students during the workshop – how maturely they worked together to answer all the questions.
“I think we did the right thing here. Although finance sounds complicated, it’s definitely something we should start teaching young,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Ceria Charity Run returns on Sept 14 for its third edition at Lotus’s Bandar Bukit Puchong.
Staying true to its mission, RM20 from each ticket sold will go towards the Lotus’s-Pintar SMART Up Programme.
Remember, smart habits create a big impact, which leads to a brighter tomorrow.
Click here to learn more about the Ceria Charity Run 2025.