GEMARI: The Active and Fun Savings Movement as a Strategy for Strengthening Students Financial Literacy at SDN 004 in Samarinda City

GEMARI: Gerakan Menabung Aktif dan Riang sebagai Strategi Penguatan Literasi Keuangan Siswa di SDN 004 Samarinda Kota

Abstract

Financial literacy is a fundamental life skill that needs to be introduced from an early age, particularly the habit of saving. In support of this effort, a community service program entitled GEMARI (Active and Cheerful Saving Movement) was carried out to improve the financial literacy of students at SDN 004 Samarinda Kota, located in Pasar Pagi Village, Samarinda. The activity was implemented through interactive presentations, discussions, and games introducing the concept of money, the difference between needs and wants, the benefits of saving, and saving tips, complemented by the distribution of piggy banks and a GEMARI pocketbook as practice media. Evaluation was conducted using a pretest and posttest on 47 students. The results showed an increase in the average knowledge score from an initial 92.34±12.19 to 94.89±9.75. Although the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.110), the positive trend and the decrease in score variation indicate better understanding and more homogeneous knowledge among students. This program serves as an initial step in instilling disciplined saving habits and wise money management from an early age, in line with efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 on Quality Education.