Children’s bank opens for destitute kids in Gorakhpur

GORAKHPUR - Lok Abhiyan, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) has opened a bank for the poverty-ridden children in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur District. The Lok Abhiyan has taught the children how to earn and also save money.

A majority of the account holders in the bank are destitutes, child labourers and rag pickers.

The bank operates from the premises of Vikas Primary School.

According Sayeed Akhtar Ali, a functionary of Lok Abhiyan and Principal of Vikas Primary School, the prime objective of the bank is to save the children from bad company.

“Some of them are child labourers, some of them work at shops and some children are those who earn money by collecting garbage and as rag pickers. So, if we don’t care for these children, then these children might get into some wrong habits with the money they earn,” said Akhtar Ali.

“So, as to save them from bad habits and to inculcate in saving habits the bank has been set up. Their money can be used in some constructive work. That is the reason we have opened the bank for the children,” he added.

Parents and guardians persuade their children to open accounts in the bank.

Children are also aware of the modalities of saving, maintaining passbooks and withdrawal of cash.

Pushpa Bharati, a student of Vikas Primary School said that whatever money she gets, she deposits it in the bank.

“In our school, a bank for children has been opened in which we save money given by our parents and whatever money they give and also we get or earn, we save in this bank,” said Bharati.

Lok Abhiyan has also initiated an action plan to enable the account holders of the bank to use their savings to set up a business venture or use the same for higher studies. By Pawan Kumar Shah (ANI)