14-y-o opens 'green bank' in Arequipa to help students earn by recycling

W/S Jose Adolfo Quisocala, founder of Bartselana student bank, moving bags of waste, Arequipa
C/U Jose Adolfo sorting papers to recycle
M/S Jose Adolfo moving bags of waste
SOT, Jose Adolfo Quisocala, founder of Bartselana student bank (Spanish): "When I was walking to my house I saw many children working, selling candy, cleaning windshields of cars, children who could not study and one day I even found a classmate from my school who was going to sell sweets after school. And I began to think that these children really should study and should have a better future, but many people do not understand and when I travel abroad and they say 'but children should not work' and it is true, children should not work, but they do it because there is a need. They do it not because they want to, which child likes to work? They do it because they understand that in their family they have problems, that they don't have anything to eat and they do it. So I wanted to see how to help those children who worked, to see how to find a way or use something like a coin to help those children to go to school and to also get money. So I started working with solid waste, I started teaching the children in my school to learn how important it is to save so that they don't end up like their parents, or like those children, and that solid waste can be a tool to help those kids."
W/S Jose Adolfo with team
M/S Jose Adolfo with team
M/S Jose Adolfo with team
M/S Jose Adolfo with team
SOT, Jose Adolfo Quisocala, founder of Bartselana student bank (Spanish): "And I said I want to help him really understand the importance of saving and for him to use it as a way to generate a better future for himself, so that he himself strives to get his things, if he wants a game or if he wants to be a footballer or if he wants to be a singer or if he wants to do what he wants to. And for him to help himself out in pursuing his dreams if his parents are not able to do so."
M/S Jose Adolfo talking to girl
M/S Jose Adolfo talking to girl
M/S Jose Adolfo giving card to girl
C/U Bank card
SOT, Jose Adolfo Quisocala, founder of Bartselana student bank (Spanish): "What I do is teach children how important it is to care for the environment, so that they understand with images and with what is happening that our environment is in danger and that it is not something that will happen in a few years, it is ongoing. There is an environmental management course where they are taught how our environment currently is, how they are helping to bring their solid waste and what other ways they can do to help in a better way. And little by little those children are changing because they really understand the theme and they change their lifestyle. The fact that if they have garbage they keep it in their pocket instead of throwing it on the ground means they are already changing and little by little they are changing their parents because I have often listened to many of their parents telling me that their children taught them how important it is to care for the environment."
W/S Student leaving waste
M/S Eco Bank team working
M/S Eco Bank team working
M/S Solid waste
C/U Plastic bottles
C/U Paper
C/U Cardboard
M/S Eco Bank team working
M/S Bank poster
W/S Eco Student Bank
W/S Eco Student Bank
SCRIPT
The 14-year old founder of a green bank for children in the Peruvian city of Arequipa spoke on Wednesday, about the importance of teaching poor children how to save and make money by recycling, and how his bank allows them to do so.
Jose Adolfo Quisocala created Banco del Estudiante Bartselana, a cooperative bank that helps students save money and recycle, when he was just seven years old. He was inspired to do so after "seeing many children working, selling candy, cleaning windshields of cars, children who could not study" while returning home from school.
"Solid waste can be a tool to help those kids," Jose Adolfo said. The bank works on a process of exchange which sees children bringing their solid waste, which is later sold to a recycling company. The earnings are then deposited into the students' accounts.
Jose Adolfo was awarded the 'Children's Climate Prize 2018' in Stockholm last year.