Asannagar college promotes savings among village children

In a district where midday meals may fill young stomachs but not always shape healthy habits, Asannagar Madanmohan Tarkalankar College has launched a strikingly simple yet visionary initiative: teaching financial discipline to children through clay piggy banks.

- BISWABRATA GOSWAMI

On Friday, the college reached out to its Adopted Village school-Kashipur Byasberia Primary School-and placed in the hands of 50 young students not just notebooks and pens, but a tangible introduction to the art of saving.

The initiative stems from a concern teachers have long observed: despite receiving government-funded meals, many children spend their pocket money on harmful fast food, inviting avoidable health complications. To steer them away from these habits, the college introduced "the culture of saving" through small, everyday acts. Each child received a clay matir bhandar (piggy bank), a notebook, and a pen-tools meant to turn curiosity into a lifelong lesson in financial prudence.