Kuala Lumpur, 23 June 2025 - Alliance Bank Malaysia Berhad (Alliance Bank or The Bank), and Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots Malaysia, a youth-led action programme, will be collaborating on The Bank’s financial literacy and biodiversity awareness for school children over the next 2 years, starting with the 2025 AEIOU Financial Literacy and Biodiversity Programme in Sabah.
The partnership was officially established with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the parties at a ceremony, here today.
The transformative initiative aims to nurture young leaders who will be equipped with both practical money management and ecological sensitivity and skills. Under the theme “AEIOU for Responsible Living: Smarter Finances, Caring for Nature, Greener Choices,” the program will engage 20 schools from Sabah, particularly in Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, and Tuaran. The programme will be conducted through an immersive blend of physical and virtual workshops, project-based learning, and interactive simulations.
Speaking on the importance of this programme, Dr.Aaron Sum, Group Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer of Alliance Bank said, “By teaching schoolchildren to make smart financial choices while understanding their impact on the environment, we’re shaping a generation that’s not just money-wise but planet-wise too”.
Meanwhile, sharing on the collaboration, President of Roots & Shoots Malaysia Mr. T.P. Lim said, “For the past ten years, Roots & Shoots Malaysia has worked closely with local NGOs and corporate partners in Malaysia to co-create programmes for young people that connect the head to the heart, leading to long-term behavioural change. In this unique collaboration, we are excited to work with the talented team from Alliance Bank and thrilled to have biodiversity knowledge being introduced to young school children in such a fun and engaging way”.
Some of the programme highlights include financial literacy workshops, biodiversity game simulation, and ‘Biodiversity Challenge’, where schoolchildren will brainstorm, plan, and present real-world biodiversity project ideas aimed at improving their schools and communities.
With participation from 160 schoolchildren from 20 schools, the challenge builds leadership, collaboration, and critical thinking. The use of comic storytelling, virtual currency, and eco-preneurship simulations further enhances engagement, making learning both meaningful and memorable.
AEIOU, a flagship CSR programme by Alliance Bank, was first introduced in 2015 and has engaged over 150,000 primary schoolchildren over the span of seven editions. The programme continues to engage the communities, ensuring all children have access to vital financial education resources.
Schoolchildren can continue their financial education journey even after the conclusion of the AEIOU Challenge as the financial education videos and comic strips are readily accessible via the AEIOU Mobile app. This resource supports the Ministry of Education’s 2027 School Curriculum framework, promoting the importance of lifelong learning.
The enhanced version of the AEIOU programme not only reinforces essential academic concepts but also fosters ethical decision-making, environmental stewardship, and entrepreneurial thinking.
Schooldchilren will learn how their daily choices, financial and otherwise affect the health of ecosystems and the sustainability of their communities. The expanded curriculum includes comic strip chapters which highlight key wildlife species in Borneo.
“This challenge isn’t just about winning, but it’s about planting the seeds of awareness, innovation, and responsibility in our future leaders,” added Dr. Aaron Sum.
The top 10 teams will be invited to present live at a final showcase event, where winning projects will receive recognition and winning prizes to bring their ideas to life. The AEIOU Financial Literacy & Biodiversity Challenge Award ceremony will be held on 28 July 2025.
###
