Albany woman’s program teaches young people money management

ALBANY — Asked the most compelling feature about the Tavibren child money management program she developed based on generations of practices within her own family, Charlie How Williams says, matter-of-factly, “It works.”

Williams, whose professional career included 29-plus years with M&M Mars in Albany and several years “after retirement” with the Department of Family and Children Services, will hold a book-signing event Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Gaines Drive Church of Christ at 411 Gaines Drive in Albany. Her recently published book, titled “Tavibren” in honor of the money management system she developed and named for members of her family who passed at a young age — daughter Tavia and grandson Brendan — will be available for purchase for $21.11.

The cost is significant, Williams explains.

“That 11 cents is important; it references the Pharisees in the Bible,” she said. “They gave 10 percent, and the Bible said Christ was not happy with them. So I encourage everyone to be a little better than the Pharisees, to give 11 percent to God.”

The roots of Williams’ Tavibren system are generational, she says. She notes that, “My grandmother cut and sold sugar cane to help pay her family’s rent; my mother gathered pecans for money, and I started work, started collecting a paycheck for running the cash register at Mitchell’s Grocery on Monroe Street, when I was 8 years old. I developed this program that is designed to help children and everyone willing to go back to the basics of money trade. The program, essentially, teaches children and anyone willing to follow it how to be better stewards of God’s money.”

Williams said the Tavibren system is based on four principles, which she calls the “four Ps:”

— Principal — Give yourself to God and deny yourself;

— Policy — Love, edify each other;

— Promise — Believe God’s promise that he will deliver you;

— Purpose — Build up and edify the church.

“This program was inspired by God,” Williams said. “And I can attest that it works. It allowed me to put two children through college, and one of my sons who followed the program bought himself a brand new car — and paid in cash — when he graduated high school.”

Williams warns, though, that anyone looking for a “quick fix” will not find it with her program.

“It’s not something that you can do in a day or so or a week,” she said. “It takes work, and it takes discipline. But over the years we’ve had 26 successful what we call ‘investors’ who have followed the program. And since two of them are my children and nine of them my grandchildren, I can say with certainty that it works.”

Williams said parents and children should have little difficulty with her easy-to-follow program instructions in the Tavibren guidebook, but some who have gotten interested in the program have scheduled follow-up, one-on-one instruction.

“I’m willing to work with people to meet individual needs,” she said. “But I stress that this is a very simple system that equips parents to teach a young child how to work, handle, control and save money while preparing to have enough earned funds to pay the first year of college tuition or any other item desired by age 18.”

Interested persons may contact Williams by calling (229) 869 7583, (229) 431-3151 or (229) 869-7583 or by email at [email protected]. Copies of the Tavibren guidebook are available at Rabbitman’s at 125 College Drive in Albany.

Staff Photo: Carlton Fletcher