" At the tender age of 9, I had a brush with the biggest fear of every child- the fear of losing a parent and then living a life without them. My father, the breadwinner of the family, met with an accident. His savings were to last only a few months; losing him would lead my family to live a life of misery. Fortunately, that day I did not lose my father, nevertheless, that fear lingered throughout my life. The best I could do was to work hard, educate myself and get a job. I spent over a decade of my education focused on getting a decent-paying job, yet, financial planning was never taught or discussed in the curriculum. Financial abundance is not a sufficient condition to live an independent and empowered life. Education and financial literacy form the foundation for empowerment. Looking back, I realize the fear could have been dealt with differently had the concept of family planning, health insurance, life insurance, and investments not been entirely alien to us or if my mother was working. Similar to my mother and I, there would have been several women and children, whose lives could have been empowered had they been educated and financially literate. Like Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world”. "