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Module 4: Understanding Earning and Income


Theme: Where Does Money Come From?
Target Group: Upper Primary to Junior Secondary School Learners
Duration: 1 Hour (split into 2 sessions for younger learners)
Objective: Help learners understand that money is earned through work, effort, or value provided, and introduce them to different types of income.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, learners should be able to:

  • Explain what income means in simple terms.
  • Identify various ways people earn money across Africa.
  • Differentiate between active and passive income.
  • Recognize that earning money requires effort, skills, or providing value.
  • Begin thinking about how they can earn money ethically, even as children.

Key Vocabulary

  • Income – Money received for work or business.
  • Earning – Getting money for doing something useful.
  • Value – Something useful or helpful to others.
  • Wages/Salary – Money paid regularly for a job.
  • Profit – The money made from selling something after expenses.
  • Active Income – Money earned through working directly.
  • Passive Income – Money earned with little daily effort, like rent or royalties.

Introduction

Many children think money just “comes” from their parents, but few understand that money is earned. This module is a mindset shift from seeing money as magic to understanding it as a reward for creating or delivering value.

Begin by asking:

“Where do you think your parents or guardians get money from?”

Most learners will say “work” or “business.” Build on their responses.

Part 1: Real African Earning Stories (15 mins)

Story 1 – Kojo in Ghana (Active Income)

Kojo’s uncle runs a printing business in Accra. Every week, Kojo helps to deliver flyers to customers and earns GHS 20. He saves part of it to buy football boots.

Story 2 – Amina in Kenya (Family Business)

Amina’s mum sells vegetables in a market in Kisumu. Amina helps after school. She sometimes earns KES 100 as appreciation, which she uses to buy books.

Story 3 – Lebo in South Africa (Passive Income)

Lebo’s dad is a photographer. He once sold a picture to a magazine and still receives money whenever the photo is used online. That’s passive income.

Ask learners:

  • Which of these children worked directly for money?
  • Which one got money even after the work was done?
  • Can children like you earn legally and safely?

Part 2: Active vs. Passive Income (15 mins)

Active Income (e.g., working in a shop, teaching, driving a taxi, farming)

  • Requires time and effort.
  • You stop earning when you stop working.

Passive Income (e.g., renting out a room, writing a book, selling music)

  • You earn even when you're not working daily.
  • Usually requires effort at the beginning (like writing or building).

Use examples across Africa:

  • In Uganda, some families rent out farmland.
  • In Côte d'Ivoire, cocoa farmers sell harvests for profit (active).
  • In Rwanda, an artist earns when people buy her digital art (passive).

Draw a chart on the board with two columns: Active and Passive—let learners give examples under each.

Part 3: Class Activity – How Can I Earn? (20 mins)

Let learners brainstorm safe, age-appropriate ways to earn money:

  • Washing a neighbor’s car.
  • Selling homemade crafts.
  • Helping with digital tasks for relatives.
  • Running errands with permission.

Divide them into groups:

  • Group A: Think of ways to earn money without needing much money to start.
  • Group B: Think of talents they have that could be turned into money (singing, drawing, organizing).

Let them present:

“How can a 12-year-old in Africa earn money legally and safely?”

Part 4: Mindset Building – Value Before Money (5 mins)

Teach them:

“Don’t chase money, chase value.”

Explain:

  • Money is a reward for solving problems.
  • People pay for things that help them (food, transport, learning, cleaning, etc.).
  • If you focus on helping others, money will follow.

Bonus: Mini Role-Play or Drama (10 mins)

Create a short drama where one student runs a service (e.g., shoe shining) and earns income. Let others play the roles of customers, helpers, and observers.

Debrief:

  • How was money exchanged?
  • What made customers return or not return?
  • What happens if value is not delivered?

KAFI Changemaker Teaching Tips

  • Include examples from local communities and different African countries.
  • Avoid glorifying money; focus on value creation and honest effort.
  • Emphasize child protection: all earning ideas must be ethical and supervised.
  • Use relatable figures like uncles, aunties, neighbors, farmers, traders, barbers, etc.
  • Encourage journaling: “What value can I give to others starting today?”

Assignment

Ask learners to:

  • Interview 1 adult and ask: “What do you do to earn money?”
  • Write down their own talent or skill and how they might use it to earn.
  • Track one earning activity over a week and reflect: What worked? What didn’t?

Conclusion

Understanding how money is earned builds gratitude, creativity, and confidence. When learners see that value leads to income, they become less entitled and more enterprising. As a KAFI Changemaker, you’re helping children across Africa unlock their potential to create honest income and live with dignity.


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