K'pong group works to provide cell phones to needy students

SNS, DARJEELING, 18 JULY 21 : Laptops and smartphones have become a basic necessity for students attending online classes, but not everyone can afford them. Keeping this fact in mind, an organisation based in Kalimpong has started a campaign to provide the gadgets to needy students.

Non- profit organisation Warnamala Pariwar (WP) is collecting mobile phones from donors and in turn handing them over to needy students so they can have access to online classes.

"It is important that children have access to online education. Many children from marginalised families do not have smartphones. I have seen many kids dropping out from schools because they are unable to attend online classes, given the lack of a mobile phone," said WP founder member Deoashish Mothey. The organisation said that it started this campaign 'No Gadgets, No Studies' on July by launching its website with a hope to bridge the gap between students and online education by collecting smartphones and laptops from donors.

"We have taken the initiative to start a campaign to collect used Android mobile phones and laptops, which will be distributed among the needy families," said Mr Mothey, while appealing to all to voluntarily donate their used or new smartphones and other such gadgets so that the needy families can make use of them.

He also said that till now they have received six mobile phones, which they have donated to children living along National Highway-10. He added that this campaign will continue until schools reopen for offline classes.

WP was formed mainly to spread the message of "learning with music" with the organisation also consisting of underprivileged children from Rambi Bazaar.