The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) has teamed up with the Caribbean Union Bank (CUB) to kick off activities in Antigua and Barbuda for Financial Information Month, observed annually across the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) each October.

ECCB Country Manager, Karel Forde-Harrigan, said the initiative is aimed at boosting financial literacy across the region and equipping people with practical knowledge about saving and investing. This year’s theme is “Financial Empowerment Through Education” with a focus on guiding citizens “from savers to investors.”

One of the flagship events for the month will be a scavenger hunt on October 19, with teams from businesses and organisations invited to register and take part.

As part of the local programme, students from the Post-Millennial Academy were hosted at CUB this week, where they toured the bank and gained insights into its operations. The visit also highlighted the launch of “Aunty Honey’s Money,” a children’s book written by financial professional S. Latoya Weste, designed to teach young people the value of money and financial responsibility from an early age.

CUB General Manager, Karen Richardson, said the partnership with the ECCB reflects the bank’s commitment to strengthening financial literacy. She explained that the decision to bring students into the bank was intentional, giving them real-world exposure to how financial institutions function. Richardson added that instilling money management skills at a young age helps ensure financial responsibility in adulthood.

Author S. Latoya Weste, who has worked in the financial sector for more than a decade and now serves in the insurance industry, said the book was inspired by her own experience teaching her child about money. Not finding suitable resources, she decided to create one herself.

“I wanted a similar resource for my own child when she was interested in money as I truly believe in ‘training up a child in the way that she should go’. I was teaching her everything else and I felt that part of that training ought to be about money so that she could develop good money habits at an early age. I have been in the financial sector for far too long and have seen too many people fall through the cracks simply because they lacked financial knowledge. Unfortunately, I could not find anything that would provide the information that I sought; so I decided to write a book myself and Aunty Honey’s Money is the result,” she explained

The ECCB will continue to roll out activities throughout October in partnership with banks, businesses, and schools across the ECCU as part of its Financial Information Month Festival.