Celebrating Impact: Zeducation’s Role in Award-Winning Financial Education for Pacific Communities

We’re proud to share that Project Ikuna’s Future Ready Financial Micro-Credentials has been recognised internationally, winning Best Adult Financial Education Project by a Non-Profit at the Money Awareness and Inclusion Awards (MAIA) 2024.

This milestone is a huge win for Pacific communities in Tāmaki Makaurau — and for us at Zeducation, as one of Auckland Council’s providers trusted to deliver this award-winning programme.

Over the past two years, our team has delivered all four Future Ready Financial Micro-Credentials, including:

• Money Confidence 1 (delivered by Zeducation)

• Money Confidence 2 (delivered by Zeducation)

• Pathway to Home Ownership (designed and delivered by Zeducation)

• Saving for Your Retirement (designed and delivered by Zeducation)

Why This Matters for Pacific Communities

Pacific peoples in Auckland often face systemic barriers to financial wellbeing:

• Lower access to formal education

• Lower levels of financial and digital literacy

• Higher representation in industries at risk of automation
  

These micro-credentials were built to change that story — to give our communities the knowledge, skills, and confidence to make informed financial decisions and create pathways to prosperity.

Accessible, Flexible, and Culturally Grounded

One of the strengths of this programme is its accessibility. Each course is 16 hours, with no academic prerequisites, and can be delivered in workplaces — even during night shifts — so participants can learn without losing income.

At Zeducation, we deliver in a way that fits the learner — using talanoa and other Pacific cultural approaches to create safe, engaging, and relatable learning environments. This is not just financial education; it’s financial education for us, by us.

Real-World Skills That Stick

The curriculum covers essential topics like:

• Budgeting and saving

• Managing debt

• Understanding loans and interest

• Navigating KiwiSaver and retirement planning

• Steps toward home ownership

The results speak for themselves. Participants are:

• Growing savings

• Reducing personal spending

• Creating realistic financial goals

• Meeting with mortgage brokers

• Taking their first steps toward home ownership

Voices from the Classroom

“I’ve saved $300, which is part of my goal.”

“I understand my money better and how to get it to grow.”

“Learning about SMART goals was eye-opening; I didn’t even know that existed.”

These aren’t just quotes. They’re turning points — moments where financial literacy turns into financial action.

Our client Fletcher Steel shares how one of their employees bought their first home with the help of Money Confidence training.

Closing Gaps and Creating Opportunities

Over a third of participants have been women, many of whom face unique financial challenges. By making financial literacy culturally relevant and accessible, we’re helping close the gender pay gap and create more opportunities for Pacific women to step into higher-paid careers and financial independence.

Looking Ahead

Since January 2022, Project Ikuna has delivered over 5000 micro-credentials across Auckland. The journey doesn’t stop here — the vision is to take this model nationwide, reaching Māori, Pacific, and other underserved communities across Aotearoa.

For Zeducation, this work is at the heart of what we believe:

We help businesses grow by growing their people — and that includes empowering our communities to take control of their financial futures.

Call to Action: If you’re an employer or community organisation looking to upskill your people in financial literacy, we’d love to talk. Let’s bring this award-winning, culturally tailored training to your workplace.