At St. Matthew's Bridge program students raise their hands in excitement, yelling that every problem has a solution and one small action can make a big difference! All 23 fifth grade students come into the classroom workbook in hand, smiling and eagerly asking what is on the agenda today. Our ONE HEN program teaches students about microfinance and how to run a business. The program starts with students reading "One Hen", which is about a boy named Kojo and how with one small loan he was able to change the lives of everyone in his village. Towards the end of the program students create their own businesses, and apply the concepts of profit, revenue, and cost. These businesses earn actual profits that are donated to the charitable organization of their choice.ONE HEN is more than a simulation of how the business world works. It is a microcosm of how corporations establish themselves and obtain enough income to stay in business while paying everyone's salaries. However, ONE HEN teaches the students much more than microfinance. It teaches them life lessons, which they can take with them in and out of the classroom. Through teamwork and perseverance they can accomplish anything.
"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play
than in a year of conversation" - Plato
than in a year of conversation" - Plato