Cover Story

Giants taking small steps for a giant leap forward

In today's scenario, where corporate giants in the wake of financial crisis and cost cutting are advising their employees and executives to join the development sector and bring about a difference to the lives of those in need, it is not surprising that these people are realising that they need to do there share of philanthropy. Entrepreneurs have also woken up to the fact that businesses do not exist in isolation. Customers, employees, shareholders, the general public – all form the existential network of industry and the business class has to cater to social responsibilities as well.

Many corporate organisations have come together with Smile Foundation to join hands in its noble endeavour of making the country a better place. For example, with the advent of harsh winters, employees of RocSearch got together to give their unused clothing to the needy assuring a warm winter for many. Population Foundation of India has held hands with Smile Foundation and strengthened its girl child programme, ‘Swabhiman’ in states of Delhi and Haryana. The plan is to replicate the programme in other parts of India. Well-known cosmetic player Lotus Herbals and biggies like Microsoft, Tech Mahindra and Aegis BPO Ltd. etc have joined roads with Smile Foundation contributing their bit in the development process.

The unison of so many corporates’ with Smile Foundation and their enthusiasm towards working with it makes Smile feel very proud of the fact that it is making a move towards setting an example of how the privileged citizens can be instrumental in the development process and bring a difference in the lives of underprivileged.

Corporate Corner

Lotus Herbals for nurturing real flowers

To bring natural smiles on the faces of underprivileged children, Lotus Herbals has associated with Smile Foundation as a part of its Cause Related Marketing (CRM). Lotus Herbals will contribute a portion of the profits for the child welfare projects as it launches a new range of six Lip Therapy products across India.

Rocsearch in way of lighting Nai Disha

RocSearch is moving ahead with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives under its partnership with Smile Foundation. The corporate is facilitating mainstreaming of Nai Disha (partner of Smile Foundation in Noida) children in formal schools and organizing textbooks and other study material for them. RocSearch is supporting Mission Education programme for 1200 underprivileged children of Jupiter Academy in Lucknow, the NGO partner of Smile Foundation.

Besides RocSearch employees actively conduct interactive workshops, sports day, art and craft competitions, celebration of festivals etc for children that help create employee bonding and loyalty in RocSearch, besides benefiting the society.

Aegis making investment for a bigger cause

Employees of Aegis, a 100% subsidiary of the US$ 50 billion Essar Group, have been volunteering a part of their monthly income for Smile on Wheels programme in Delhi/NCR as part of the organisation's association with Smile Foundation. The total collection of 3,400 employees is matched by the organisation to be given as a token to Smile Foundation.

Cvent brings Naya Savera

Cvent, the largest online event registration company in USA and a global leader in the field of event management, has joined hands with Smile Foundation. The corporate has adopted 17 underprivileged children under an initiative 'Naya Savera', a programme run by a partner organisation, Health and Care Society in Delhi. Cvent is providing lifetime sponsorship of these children for their education and overall development.

PFI stands for Swabhiman of the fair sex

Smile Foundation in unison with the Population Foundation of India (PFI) has initiated 'Swabhiman' programme concerning the health and empowerment of adolescent girls and women. PFI, which was established as a premier healthcare organisation in 1970, is providing technical expertise and financial support for Swabhiman.

The objective of the programme is to empower women enabling them as change-agents to improve health seeking behaviour in the communities of Delhi. PFI has supported Smile Foundation in addressing issues of domestic violence, female feticide, infanticide, sexual harassments, rape and abuse - linking up with institutional supports available for redressal.

Smile Foundation plans to replicate the programme in other parts of India too.

Microsoft supports Smile to strengthen youth

Software giant Microsoft supports Smile Foundation for its 35 Smile Twin e-Learning centres financially and technically across 16 Indian states. Microsoft is also supporting IT curriculum for underprivileged youth across 50 STeP centres. The corporate strongly feels that programmes like STeP can abridge digital divide and produce more employable youth for sectors like BPO, ITES, hospitality and retail.

Tech Mahindra supports STeP centres

Tech Mahindra, a global systems integrator and business transformation consulting firm is supporting the livelihood programme, STeP through Tech Mahindra Foundation. The foundation is providing support to one of the existing centres at Dharavi, Mumbai, and helping set up of a new STeP centre in Pune.

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Partner Story

The power of ONE, Sankalp

Here is a glowing example of how a housewife leading a cushy home-based life can bring about a change to the lives that need it the most. Ms. Meena Nijhawan, wife of a Major General, had always wanted to pursue her long cherished passion of teaching uneducated underprivileged children. In an effort to trigger off her ambition after her husband's retirement, Ms Nijhawan decided to start from her own home. She started teaching the two children of her housemaid who did not afford to send the children to school. Ms. Nijhawan also invested in their books and stationery. Gradually, the children developed interest in studies and Ms Nijhawan asked them to motivate their friends to come and study from her. Soon the number of children increased to 40 and she had to shift the classroom to her garage. To accomplish the task of arranging funds, Ms Nijhwan got her society registered and it took the form of Sankalp Saksharta Samiti.

After learning about Ms. Nijhawan’s determined and focussed efforts to help the needy children, in 2003 Smile Foundation decided to provide financial aid to it. Since then, the number of students has increased from 40 to 200, with a committed faculty of 10 teachers. Smile Foundation has been instrumental in building the capacity of the trust in spheres of resource mobilization, project management, child development etc. Such efforts reflect the power of true determination which can pave the way ahead for development of underprivileged children.

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In Focus

Global recognition

Mr. Naresh Chaudhary, Chief Operating Officer, is representing Smile Foundation as the Chairman for the International Committee for Global Movement on Advocacy & Fundraising. The committee will active in 18 countries across the globe.

Sixty-two participants from 27 organisations of Latin America, Africa, Asia and The Netherlands, collectively raised their voice at the International Change for Children workshop hosted by the International Child Support (ICS), an international organisation based in The Netherlands, in collaboration with Wild Ganzen, KidsRights, Net4kids among others. The agenda of the strategic workshop was knowledge sharing, knowledge acquisition and teambuilding.

Smile Foundation is highly moved by the depressing condition of underprivileged children world over and strongly proposed to all entities to work together and not in isolation to strengthen the holistic development of a child and achieve MDGs. Naresh Chaudhary, Chief Operating Officer, and KK Varma, Director, Programmes, represented Smile Foundation on a global platform and proposed the idea of a global movement across continents. The grilling discussions gave birth to a committee, 'Global platform for advocacy and fundraising'. The committee, represented by four global organisations, will be chaired by Naresh Chaudhary. The organisation has already started its initiatives by promoting a global internet platform where member organisations can put forth any suggestions, queries, opinion, experiences etc on fund raising. The information will be useful for other such organisations working for the same cause.

"Resources are shrinking and since one of the millennium development goals is to promote global partnerships thus such steps will be a small measure to further the universal achievement of MDGs," says Naresh Chaudhary.

Focus infants in Bihar floods

The floods caused by river Kosi led to a devastating situation in Bihar affecting more than 18 districts making it one of the worst floods in India. Certain facts that give an idea of the damage caused are as-

• Population affected: 27,00,000 (aprox.)
• Villages flooded: 977
• Land area affected: 1.15 lakh hectares
• People evacuated: more than 9 lakh
• Number of camps: 313
• Population in camps: 2.6 lakh

A team of 35 volunteers from Smile Foundation woke up to the situation and travelled across the flood affected districts. The team realised the call of children below five years of age, who happen to be the worst sufferers.

Smile Foundation supplied more than 5000 Nestle Lactogen milk packets to needy mothers to help them feed young children as milk was their immediate need and not food. The product was quickly and easily transported to the beneficiary with minimal possibility of misuse and adulteration. In its small way Smile Foundation saved lives of many.

Annual Mega Health Camp in rural Rajathan

A multi disciplinary mega health camp organised by Smile Foundation benefited approximately 25,000 poor and needy from 50 villages of Bhilwara, Rajasthan. The unique camp had a make shift hospital of 500 beds setup in rural settings in collaboration with Women’s Wing Jain Samaj and Government of Rajasthan. The camp provided free diagnosis, medicines, food, accommodation and surgical operations to all villagers. A team of 40 specialist doctors along with 120 paramedical staff from Surgery, Ophthalmology, Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, Medicine, E.N.T., Anaesthesia, Radiology, Paediatrics, and Pathology provided voluntary services in this noble initiative of Smile Foundation.

520 people underwent surgical operations for diseases like hernia, eye disorders, allergies, arthritis, communicable diseases, ENT, gynae diseases, oral care, kidney and gall bladder stones, ureteric stones, moles, fibroid (tumours), urinary infection, appendicitis, thyroid and sexually transmitted diseases etc. Smile Foundation has been organising annual multi disciplinary health camp free of cost since 2002 for the benefit of the rural poor.

A visit to the Netherlands

A delegation of senior officials from Smile Foundation visited The Netherlands under the global banner of 'Action For Children' (AFC) programme. The visit was a part of an International Meet of the three nodal organisations, Smile Foundation, Cese and Soul City from India, Brazil and South Africa respectively, with the consortium of three Dutch organisations and government of The Netherlands. The agenda of the visit was to share the scope of AFC activities in India and other developing nations. The organisations also envisioned the implementation of a global movement collectively on the protection of child rights across globe and make it a unanimous campaign.

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Recent Events

Child Celebrities for Smile’s Cause

Anandi and Jagdish of Balika Vadhu fame, a daily soap on 'Colors' channel, spent Children's Day with children of Smile Foundation in Mumbai. The day was marked with lots of fun games, competitions, music and dance with the star kids.

Not just this, the children also went on air at Big FM- Delhi, Radio City- Delhi and Mumbai and Radio Mirchi- Mumbai. They sang a self written song wishing their favourite Chacha Nehru. They were taken on an excursion to the Rail Museum and few malls by the Radio Jockeys, where they had a good time with singer Ashok Masti of 'khadkeya gilaasiu tere naale' fame. Surprise gifts for all children and sumptuous food made the day more rewarding.

An evening with a difference

The legendary Ghazal maestro Pankaj Udhas, flavoured an evening in Jaipur with his melodious voice and soulful lyrics. ‘Ek Sham Bachpan K Naam’, a live musical concert was organised on September 6, 08 by Bachpan Bachao Andolan, with support from Smile Foundation.


The evening was dedicated to a project to rescue and rehabilitate 500 children working as child labour in various industries of Mumbai. Birla auditorium of Jaipur saw a packed audience of 2000 people, along with eminent senior officials from the judiciary and government of Rajasthan.

Smile Foundation will match the funds raised by its partner, Bachpan Bachao Andolan under the banner of 'Action For Children'.

Sharing Smiles with young ones

Employees of HSBC bank enjoyed two fun filled days with 40 children of 'Hamara School', partner of Smile Foundation in Goa. 80 employees divided in two groups enjoyed interesting activities and interactive team games involving cooperation and coordination. The games helped to sensitize employees towards the needs of children and brought children closer to them. Mouth watering delicacies that followed the games made the day for the children.


Dispelling darkness from the lives of underprivileged

The event organised by Amrapali Utkarsh Sangha at MLA grounds, Nagpur saw the presence of more than 100 eminent people of the city. Amrapali Utkarsh Sangha effectively used the platform to showcase the good work being done by them to the gathered audience through a documentary depicting the organization's journey, successes and challenges. It was an emotionally stirring experience for the audience.

The organisation provides helping hand to commercial sex workers of Ganga Jamuna red light area and daily wage labourers working in stone quarries of Nagpur. The Sangha, under its initiative, Naveen Bhai Desai residential school, provides education, healthcare, nutrition, boarding and lodging to children of sex workers and daily wage labourers.

'Taare Zameen Par'

The onset of autumn gave new meaning to festivity for underprivileged children of Bengal in a special way. On October 5, 2008, 120 underprivileged children of Hindmotor, a suburb of West Bengal, were invited to the inauguration programme of Boys Sporting Club's Durga Puja. The children inaugurated the programme and took away smiles in the form of new dresses and caps, not to forget the yummy food!

Smile Foundation feels happy to hold hands of these children to make the 'Festival of Lights' brighten up their lives in a true sense.

Equality, Education and Equity

In its efforts to promote equality and remove disparities of performance between children of lower socio economic status (SES) and upper SES group, Smile Foundation brought together children of Delhi Public School (DPS, Rohini) closer to underprivileged children from slums of Kusumpur Pahari near Vasant Kunj, Delhi. The initiative comprised of a range of interactive activities for both groups to help them network better under the Action For Children programme of Smile Foundation.

Under the arrangement, 30 children from each group in the age group of 9 to 12 years participated in interactive sessions twice a month in the premises of DPS. The competitive groups were named as Ekta (Unity), Samaanta (Equality), Prem (Love), Maitri (Friendship) and Pragati (Progress). Teachers present played an active role in abridging gaps between two classes.

'Ab Aur Nahin'- No more inequality for us!

"Bapu main bhi padhna chahti hu, mere liye basta kyon nahi laye?"
"Kash mere maa bapu ne bhi mujhe padhaya hota to aaj mera ye haal na hua hota."

These are words coming straight from the heart of a poor girl, Roopa as she represents all such girls who do not get a chance to go to school, whose parents are reluctant to invest in them, girls whose small dreams remain confined in four walls of home.

A campaign was organised by community leaders of Smile Foundation where street plays and signature drives were held at different parts of Delhi. The protagonist in the play 'Ab Aur Nahin', Roopa made a spellbound performance on the status of girl child.

The play was staged on October 31, 2008 at Delhi Haat, a popular open cultural place in the heart of Delhi. Different characters clearly depicted how due to lack of education and proper care, a girl suffer hardships in her life.

Rigorous trainings, capacity building sessions and workshops were conducted under Swabhiman to make girls more aware of their rights, health and inculcate in them confidence to speak up for themselves.

World Population Day

Celebrations of World Population Day reaffirmed the right of people to plan their families. The day encouraged activities, events and information that help make this right real – especially for those who often have the hardest time getting the information and services they need to plan their families, such as marginalised populations and young people.

Celebrations under Swabhiman were marked with healthy competitive spirit where adolescent girls of community participated in poster writing competitions on issues like early marriage and its consequences on health, HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, safe motherhood, etc.

Celebrating Girl Child Week

Celebrations of Girl Child Week glorified awareness of rights and power of girl child and women in different communities across Delhi under the banner of Swabhiman programme. The community leaders were trained for street play performances as a capacity building effort, where it was believed it would act as a strong medium to spread the message of girl child empowerment. Capacities of selective community girls on IEC (Information, Education, Communication) and BCC (Behavioural Change Communication) tools were built by conducting sessions on Speech Modulation, Expressions, Dialogue Delivery, etc.

The trainings resulted in a series of street play performances across the streets of Delhi. Issues of health and hygiene, awareness about vaccination of newborn babies, health matters of pregnant and lactating women, safety of girls, early marriage and its consequences, status of girl child, rights of girl child and safe motherhood etc were some of the subjects that girls were taught.

Dispelling the darkness of scarcity and ignorance

Samvedna, a partner organisation of Smile Foundation organised a Diwali workshop under 'Action For Children’ initiative of Smile Foundation. A week-long workshop in Ahmedabad exhibited vivid handicraft items and lots of talent display by underprivileged children of Smile Foundation. More than 500 people from well off sections of society marked their presence for the event that was also a fund raiser for the benefit of the poor and needy.

The success of the workshop lie in the fact that it brought the two extremes closer, awakening and sensitizing the privileged towards their underprivileged counterparts.

Advancing Steps, Strengthening Rights

The women's movement in India has taken different forms in different parts of the country. Home to 32 girls, Amcha Ghar has been working to empower underprivileged girls through education, vocational skills and self defence techniques.

Girls of Amcha Ghar presented their skills and talents before an august gathering of 150 eminent people from different walks of life. Managing Director, Landscape Industries, Mr Vinoo Naik, was the chief guest of the function. Many present on the occasion appreciated the exemplary support given by Smile Foundation towards the nurturing of the talent of the destitute and orphaned girls.

Raining resources in Rains

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy may be a clichéd saying, but it holds a lot of value. For the overall talent development of its children, Orysed, a non-profit partner organization of Smile Foundation organized 'Jatra' – a ticketed 'Dance-Drama' show that attracted more than 1000 prominent people from various sections of society. 'Jatra' not only helped in mobilizing funds, but also reaching out to a wide target audience across Orissa including local politicians, senior government functionaries and businessmen.

'IMAGINATION SERIES'- An art exhibition for a cause

Certain efforts made by individuals for a good cause go a long way for the well being of many lives. Such was a step taken by Smeetha Bhaumik, an upcoming artist, who dedicated her Art Exhibition, 'Imagination Series' to Smile Foundation. The theme of the exhibition was- 'Well being of the girl child', a small tribute to the birth of young stars in regions rich in anguish and bursts of exploding emotions.

The exhibition was displayed for two weeks in Mumbai and 50% of the proceeds from the sale of paintings were donated to Smile Foundation for the education of girl child. Indeed a true example of focused philanthropy.

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Smile in Media

International media fames Smile Foundation

The coveted national daily of United States, The Washington Post, highlighted 'Swabhiman', the programme run by Smile Foundation to preserve the self respect and dignity of the girl child and women communities. Senior journalists from the reputed international daily were moved by the sensitive performance of community leaders in a 'Nukkad Natak' in Chattarpur, Delhi.

One to one interviews with adolescent girls, community men and women highlighted the grim status of girl child in India and the changes that Smile Foundation has been able to bring in their lives in a short span of time. The fact that male involvement is essential in bringing woman empowerment was acknowledged.

The Week	Oct 26, 2008	"Care on Wheels"
	Oct 21, 2008	"Underprivileged Kids Turns Beauty Experts"
	Nov 17, 2008	"Lending a smile on Children's Day"
	Aug 25, 2008	"In India, New Opportunities for Women Draw Anger and Abuse From Men"

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Hand in Hand

TISS Scholarship

Smile Foundation has started an annual scholarship programme in the TATA Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai for undertaking research in Social Work Degree Programme in M.A.

The scholarships will be awarded to 10 most meritorious students every year starting from the 2008-09 session. This would be token endeavour in nurturing best talents for the development sector by becoming a partner in the legacy of the TISS.


International Alliance

Childreach International (CI), a UK based organisation that works in many places across the world, partners with Smile Foundation to support the strengthening of government schools and catering to under-privileged children in Thiruvalur and Hosur districts of Tamil Nadu. The areas were identified after a need assessment survey undertaken by Smile Foundation.

Both Childreach International and Smile Foundation share a common mission and sphere of activities in working for most marginalized, vulnerable children in developing parts of the world, particularly India. Smile Foundation's national presence culminated into a meaningful collaboration and partnership between the two, where 7,856 underprivileged children are direct beneficiaries to avail basic facilities and amenities in their schools. Some of these facilities include provision of safe drinking water, construction of toilets, renovation of dilapidated building, infrastructure and essential classroom furniture. Out of the total direct beneficiaries, 1,745 targeted students belong to scheduled cast/ tribe and other backward communities.

Announcements

SoW Ahmedabad soon on roads

Smile on Wheels is the national level mobile healthcare programme from Smile Foundation. Smile on Wheels, Ahmedabad is looking for an implementing partner, so that it can soon benefit underprivileged population of Gujarat state. The mobile hospital envisions reaching out to maximum number of people for preventive, promotive and curative health services, with a special focus on children and women.

SoW Ahmedabad will be ninth in addition to the existing fleet of eight SoW across eight states of India. SoW Ahmedabad will be soon followed by SoW Mumbai and Hyderabad.

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