In Faridabad, cellphone bank for needy students

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, November 10

To attend online classes, borrowing a mobile phone from neighbours was the only option for 15-year-old Rani. She lost her father a couple of years back. Her mother, who works as a labourer, barely earns enough to make both ends meet.

Buying a smartphone was out of question for Rani, a student of Class X of a government school here. But today she walked home smiling, courtesy a mobile phone bank set up by the District Elementary Education Office (DEEO) to help underprivileged students.

While the department distributed 20 cellphones among needy students, another 120 are expected to be given soon under this initiative. Ritu Chaudhary, District Elementary Education Officer, said the first lot of mobile phones was arranged by roping in teachers and NGOs. “We are accepting both used and new devices for distribution among the needy students. With this initiative, we aim to help as many students as possible,” she said.