Jose Quisocala
A bank for children’s education
About
At 7 years old, Jose Quisocala founded Banco del Estudiante Bartselana, a circular economy bank that aims to empower underprivileged children while protecting the environment.
The bank’s principle is simple: children whose parents can’t afford to feed them or send them to school can collect waste from local households, shops, and businesses. When they bring the waste to the bank, they receive money on their debit card, which allows them to feed themselves and attend school. Banco del Estudiante Bartselana then sells the waste to recycling companies.
Work
Since his participation in YAS, Jose Quisocala and his team have helped 9,000 children continue their education and overcome economic barriers. Collaborating with over 40 schools, they recycle 50 tons of waste each month.
He also launched an initiative that allows children to access medical care by paying with recyclables, making healthcare more accessible to vulnerable families.
Currently, Jose Quisocala is developing a bottle deposit machine and an educational app to encourage environmental action and inspire children to become agents of change, showing them that they can have a positive impact on the world.