Last month, Rwanda made history. On February 18, the government signed a three-year agreement with Anthropic, the company behind Claude AI, marking the first time an American AI (artificial intelligence) company has formalised a partnership across multiple sectors with an African government. While the news focused on health and education, there’s another story here: financial education is education. And AI can transform how Rwandans build wealth. Rwanda is a young country: 70% of the population is under 35. This generation has grown up with mobile money, never setting foot in a traditional bank, yet 96% of Rwandan adults are financially included. People send money through MTN MoMo and Airtel Money. They use eKash to transfer funds instantly. They save in SACCOs and digital savings groups. But here’s what many Rwandans don’t have: someone to teach them how to make their money work harder. Many personal finance books are written for Americans with credit cards and retirement accounts that most Rwandans don’t have. YouTube videos often assume you’re budgeting in dollars, not managing money in Rwandan francs. This is where AI changes everything. Through the Anthropic partnership, Rwanda is deploying Chidi, an AI learning companion built on Claude, across the education system. While teachers and civil servants are getting trained first, the technology is spreading. ALX is bringing it to over 200,000 students and young professionals across Africa. Even without formal access, free AI tools are available to anyone with the internet. Here's how you can use AI as your personal financial coach Learn budgeting basics for free. Besides Claude, you can also open ChatGPT or any free AI chatbot and ask: “I earn Rwf 150,000 per month. How should I budget my money in Rwanda?” The AI will walk you through ideas, like the 50/30/20 rule adapted to your situation: 50% for needs, 30% for wants, 20% for savings. Ask it to create a monthly budget template. Request tips for tracking expenses through mobile money. Understand your mobile money better. AI can explain how transaction fees add up. Ask: “I send Rwf 10,000 five times a month through mobile money. How much am I paying in fees, and how could eKash save me money?” It will calculate that you might be spending Rwf 2,500 monthly on fees when eKash charges Rwf 250 for transfers up to Rwf 10 million. Get personalised savings strategies. Tell the AI your specific situation: “I’m 25, I work in Kigali, and I want to start a small business in two years. I can save Rwf 30,000 per month. What is my strategy?” It will break down your savings target, suggest where to keep your money (SACCO accounts, bank savings), and help you calculate how much you’ll accumulate. Practice financial decisions without risk. AI can simulate scenarios. Ask: “If I take a loan of Rwf 1,000,000 at 18% interest to buy a motorcycle for a transport business, will I be able to repay it from my earnings?” The AI will walk you through the math before you commit. Learn investment concepts. Most Rwandans don’t currently invest in stock markets, but they do have opportunities. Ask AI to explain how the Rwanda Stock Exchange works, what SACCOs offer, or to teach you the fundamental principles of investing wisely. Build skills that increase your income. This is where it gets powerful. AI can teach you marketable skills for free. “Teach me basic Excel for accounting jobs.” “Help me learn digital marketing for my small business.” “Explain how to create a business plan for a loan application.” Every skill you learn through AI is money in your pocket. And here’s what matters most: AI gives you answers, not judgment. You can ask the same question 50 times. You can admit you don’t understand something basic. You can explore ideas without feeling embarrassed about your starting point. AI makes learning accessible to everyone with a smartphone, and the willingness to adapt. Your financial future doesn’t require expensive advisors or foreign business schools. Just curiosity, and the courage to start learning. Start today. Pick one financial question you’ve always wondered about. Then ask an AI, take the answer, and build on it. ---------------------------------------------------30----------------------------------------------------- Lynnette Khalfani-Cox is a personal finance expert, speaker, and author of 16 books including the New York Times bestseller “Zero Debt.” She and her husband Earl Cox are expanding their financial education firm in Rwanda to support financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and economic empowerment. Money Moves is a bi-weekly column providing practical wisdom and strategies for building wealth and financial security in Rwanda’s evolving economy.
