The journalist specialized in economics, Massiel de Jesús Acosta, presented “Money Mom”, the first basic and interactive guide designed specifically to help mothers achieve their financial goals and create habits of economic well-being.
With this guide, the author seeks to educate Dominican mothers about the importance of caring for and controlling their finances, showing them techniques to create a budget, inviting them to save and invest in the future and to work in a present that ensures the tomorrow of their children. .
The innovative teaching material, presented on the occasion of World Savings Day celebrated on October 31, also seeks to enable mothers to prosper by offering alternatives such as selling homemade products, identifying the skills or talents that can become a source of income, explore some freelance jobs, and take advantage of distance education to acquire new skills.
“This is a basic and interactive guide, explained in plain language where mothers, from the housewife, entrepreneur or employee to the single or married woman, will be able to find useful information on expense control, healthy habits, ways to generate extra income and practical advice, depending on your stage and circumstance,” said De Jesús Acosta, who is also coordinator of Personal Finance at the newspaper elDinero.
She indicated that as a journalist, and also as a mother, she has explored the financial complexities that women face at different stages of motherhood.
“In our country, more than 50% of MSMEs are led by women, and more than 30% of single-parent households have a mother as the head of the household. Furthermore, about 21% of women have been victims of economic violence. Given this panorama, I understand that it is crucial to have tools that empower each mother on her path to financial stability,” argued De Jesús.
The guide, which is sponsored by the Superintendency of Banks (SB), the Association of Multiple Banks of the Dominican Republic (ABA) and the Banco Popular Dominicano (BPD), is divided into more than 20 chapters that address crucial topics such as the economic profile of women in the Dominican Republic and the importance of the budget, citing strategies to reduce expenses and increase savings. In addition, it focuses on self-care and mental health and how these branches affect personal finances.
Practical tools “Money Mom” offers include tactics for dealing with difficult financial situations, how to get out of debt, and establishing an emergency fund. Advice is also provided on the correct use of credit cards, the value of financial education for children and couples, and the importance of insurance and investment to multiply savings.
«Motherhood is our greatest asset. Educating ourselves financially today means ensuring a future of abundance for our family,” De Jesús stressed during the event held in the Dr. Ricardo Michel Auditorium of the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD).
During the presentation of the guide, the executive president of the Association of Multiple Banks of the Dominican Republic (ABA), Rosanna Ruiz, offered a keynote lecture titled “Importance of the inclusion of mothers in banking services.”
The activity also included a panel titled “From mother to mother: how to balance our finances at each stage?”, where prominent experts participated, such as psychologist and founder of Madres Reales RD, Eileen-Lyn Glass; the economic journalist and co-founder of the television program Mujeres de Peso, Patria Reyes; the founder of the Academy of Financial Education (Acaedufin) and the Light in Your Finances initiative, Luz Jiménez; the economic journalist from Diario Libre, María del Carmen Guillén and the accountant and creator of Life Finance, Dileiny Concepción. Together they addressed the financial challenges mothers face when being heads of households and how to achieve “balance” between their various responsibilities.
The “Money Mom” guide will soon be available on Amazon.com and in some bookstores in the country, marking a milestone in financial education aimed at Dominican mothers.
About the author of the guide
De Jesús Acosta is a journalist specialized in investigation and data, graduated from the UASD with a master’s degree in Digital Marketing and Social Networks from the Distance University of Madrid (UDIMA). He has worked in media such as elCaribe and El Nuevo Diario, and collaborates in magazines such as elDinero Mujer and InfoCarol. Pioneer in the segment “Cuidando los Chelitos” on the radio program “Al Mediodia con Charlie Mariotti y company”, by Rumba and collaborator on “Vozz Vespertina”.
His work has been recognized with multiple national and international awards, including the George Arzeno Brugal Industry Award (2024) from the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD) and Data Journalism (2021 and 2024) from the General Directorate of Ethics and Government Integrity (DIGEIG). In addition, it has been selected for the Third Edition of WIN-Women in Latam News 2024.
