Bangladesh street kids turn bankers

DHAKA: Mohammad Raju ran away from his poor family in Bangladesh's southern Khulna district eight years ago, hoping for a better life in Dhaka. Instead, his life got worse. His tiny income from selling chocolates in the sprawling parliament compound in Dhaka left him hungry and homeless. "I used to earn up to 20 taka in a day which was in no way enough to survive. Sometimes policemen, who were on duty at the parliament compound, gave me their spare food. Still I spent many days with little or no food," Raju said. Raju's life changed after he discovered an unlikely profession for a street child: banking. The 16-year-old boy started working for the Children's Development Bank, a Bangladesh-based lender that is owned by a non-government organization and managed by street children. He now earns 2,000 taka a month and can save a portion of his income. His workplace looks like any other Bangladesh bank, with counters and a cash and ledger book - except for the fact that the bank clerks are unusually young. Raju has been promoted to the post of program assistant at the bank and is now a paid employee, working under an adult supervisor. But most of the children who work here are volunteers wanting to learn new skills and contribute to a system that allows them to save money and earn some interest on their savings. Others simply deposit their money at the bank, which is open two hours a day, without becoming involved as volunteers. "Often they spoil the money earned through hard labour by taking drugs or watching movies. Our bank keeps it safe for their future," said Basudeb Maitra, the coordinator of the Children's Development Bank. "Street children who have a valid source of income and are not involved in pick-pocketing, begging, drug-selling, pilfering can bank with us," said Maitra.