BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – FINANCIAL Information Month has created much excitement with the recently announced initiative ‘Everyday Financial Heroes’, highlighting the many financial success stories of the common man and woman.
Preparation for the month-long event, to be recognized during October, has already strengthened the partnership among the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) and almost 20 financial institutions across the Federation.
This year, the initiative will see telecommunications company LIME and multi-media organization SKNVibes joining in recognizing the nation’s everyday financial heroes.
ECCB Deputy Director of Corporate Communications Sybil Welsh explained that an everyday financial hero is someone who came from humble beginnings and, through hard work and “sensible money management practices”, was able to become financially successful, as indicated through social markers such as being able to send their child or children to college, owning a home of their own or becoming a successful entrepreneur.
“The life of this person must therefore serve as a blueprint for others in the community to see what is possible if one follows sound money management principles. During this month, we do not want to just tell people to save and invest, but we want to also give people the proof that we have financial heroes around us every day,” Welsh informed.
All residents of St Kitts and Nevis can nominate candidates for the Everyday Financial Heroes Award. There are no restrictions on the number of persons that an individual can nominate, and each candidate can be entered by texting the person’s name, phone number and one sentence supporting why the candidate should be considered to the short code 7568. Random nominators will receive a prize from LIME.
It is important to note that the candidate must be a citizen of St Kitts-Nevis and have regular residency in the Federation for the past 15 years or more. He/she must be at least 25 years of age. Any candidates who have been convicted of an indictable offense punishable by imprisonment or convicted of a corrupt practice by a recognized court will be disqualified.
Nominations end on October 9.
A nominations committee will screen all candidates, and all qualified nominees will be posted online at www.SKNVibes.com to allow members of the public to vote for their favourite.
A brief biography on each nominee will also be posted to allow the public to assess the candidates’ achievements.
The public will thereafter be invited to vote electronically via a secure online voting system on SKNVibes. There are no restrictions on the number of votes per person.
Welsh said that the candidate receiving the highest number of votes will be named the 2009 Everyday Financial Hero and shall win prizes from the ECCB and other financial institutions that are estimated to be valued at roughly EC $5 000.
To ensure transparency in the process, an online vote tracker will provide updates on the votes received for each candidate. Voting will commence on October 21 and run until October 27.
The public is therefore encouraged to visit www.SKNVibes.com and nominate their everyday financial heroes today!
