FWD and JA celebrate Asia’s young changemakers at JA SparktheDream Social Challenge 2025

Empowering Asia’s youth through financial literacy and community engagement

Hong Kong, 13 November 2025 - FWD Group Holdings Limited (“FWD Group” or “FWD”) today announced the winners of the JA SparktheDream Social Challenge 2025 Asia Pacific Finals, to mark the successful conclusion of this year’s award-winning JA SparktheDream program. The top teams were from UK Academy in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Bacacay East Central School in Albay, the Philippines; and SMJK Chung Hwa in Klang, Malaysia.

Now in its fourth year, all eight markets across Asia where the JA SparktheDream program operates participated in the social challenge. Up to two teams from each market were shortlisted as finalists for their projects addressing social needs in their community.

Cathy Knezevic, Group Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, FWD Group, said,

“Congratulations to all our remarkable student participants. They demonstrated the enormous potential of young people to turn ideas into impact within their communities – meeting real-world challenges with inspiring solutions. By developing mindsets and skillsets, FWD Group remains committed to empowering more young people across Asia to celebrate living, with a strong sense of social responsibility.”

Each team-based idea submitted reflected the learning outcomes from the JA SparktheDream program, which aims to equip students with crucial financial literacy, life and social skills through dynamic, experiential and gamified learning.

Adnan Bokhari, Interim President and CEO, JA Asia Pacific and Chief Financial Officer, JA Worldwide said:

“The JA SparktheDream Social Challenge is a powerful example of how we are delivering on JA’s commitment to Empowering Youth Everywhere. Through our partnership with FWD, we’re equipping young people with the economic and entrepreneurial skills to build thriving communities, while instilling the self-efficacy and purpose that drive lifelong success. Each student idea submitted for this Social Challenge demonstrates how financial literacy can spark innovation and social impact. As we continue expanding JA’s reach across more communities and nations in Asia Pacific, we remain focused on empowering youth to turn potential into progress, and on growing that impact in sustainable, risk-mitigated ways that benefit generations to come.”

Champions of the JA SparktheDream Social Challenge 2025 Asia Pacific Finals - Team EcoBank from UK Academy in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

 In second place was BanaNation from Bacacay East Central School in Albay, Philippines

Third place went to Delulu Maxxing from SMJK Chung Hwa in Klang, Malaysia

During the first phase of the FWD-JA partnership from 2022 to 2024, the program reached more than 37,000 students and expanded beyond financial literacy to include themes of social responsibility, empathy and community engagement, preparing students to meet the challenges of tomorrow confidently. Among participants, 88 per cent gained an understanding of money's role in daily life, while 80 per cent developed a greater awareness of community needs.

Earlier this year, FWD extended its partnership with JA Worldwide for another three years. The next phase aims to reach 40,000 more students by the end of 2027, increase engagement with parents and teachers and develop new mental well-being initiatives.

JA SparktheDream was recognized with a Silver Award in the 2023 Investor and Financial Education Awards from the Investor and Financial Education Council in Hong Kong SAR; a Bronze Stevie® Award at the Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards 2024 for Innovative Achievement in Corporate Social Responsibility in the Philippines; and a Special Mention in the 2024 Bisnis Indonesia Corporate Social Responsibility Awards in Indonesia.