Profile
Make Cents, Make Sense: Financial Literacy Workshops for Youth from SOS Children's Villages
Make Cents – Make Sense is a youth-led initiative equipping vulnerable youth — especially those aging out of care systems — with essential financial literacy skills to build independent, empowered lives.
Founded by Leontina Trajkoska, a care leaver and UWC Costa Rica student, the project was born out of personal experience navigating financial independence with little guidance.
The initiative aims to close the often-overlooked financial education gap among youth in alternative care. Workshops delivered in SOS Children’s Villages in North Macedonia and Costa Rica covered practical topics like budgeting, banking, consumer protection, fraud prevention, and goal-setting. Using peer-led delivery, gamified tools, and locally adapted content, the sessions empowered participants to take control of their financial futures.
With support from the Global Youth Action Fund and GoMakeADifference, the project now seeks to scale globally by building a facilitator toolkit and adaptable curriculum designed for replication across SOS Villages and youth-led spaces. Beyond knowledge, this project is about dignity: ensuring every young person, regardless of background, has the skills to make informed decisions and thrive. It reimagines financial literacy not as a privilege, but as a tool of equity and survival.