Smile Foundation and CORP (Community Outreach Programme) have taken up the mission of brining smile to children and women through the education and health care programme in slum clusters of Thane and Mumbai in Maharashtra.

About the Partner

Community Outreach Programme (CORP), this partner of Smile Foundation, is a registered voluntary organization established in 1977, has been working in the field of community development. CORP is primarily working in the field of education which includes Balwadi (pre school education), Remedial Education, education and support programme for differently challenged. Other major programmes include shelter for Street Children, Programmes for Youth, Self Help Groups (SHG), Vocational Training and Senior Citizen Forum.

Mumbai is the head office of Community Outreach Programme (CORP). Presently the organization is working in 13 slum communities with 20 centers in and around the city of Mumbai.

The organization is already running 3 centers which include Remedial Classes, Pre School and crèche. The project is running in 2 centers in the middle of the slum community. One center is running at the community hall covering preschool and the remedial classes. Balwadi covering 90 children is run in a chawl (small room) in the community.

There are around 300 children covered through these 3 centers. The project is for the children of the commercial sex workers and physically and mentally challenged children. As part of the project, regular medical camps and awareness programmes are organized for the community members. The organization is also running self-help groups and income generation programmes for the community women, which is proving to be very beneficial for the women

The Vidya Sagar Vikas Kendra, is at present covering around 250 under the remedial education, preschool and Balwadi. The children attending remedial education are going to the formal school and the children studying in the preschool and Balwadi will be integrated into the formal school later.

The Project

The project titled ‘Vidya Sagar Vikas Kendra, Care of Children at risk situation in Indira Nagar, Thane’ provides basic education and health care support to underprivileged children in Mumbai slums including those who are given preschool training (100) and remedial education (150) in the existing centres.

The project area covers the slum clusters of Indira Nagar located west of Thane (Mumbai) on the eastern foothills of Borivali National Park. The beneficiary community include migrants from U.P, Haryana, Bihar and Maharashtra, mainly working in nearby industries, some are employed in temporary and seasonal jobs; women mainly working in small industries and in the houses of nearby colonies.

All the children in the Crèche are provided nutrition, Uniform, Sports & recreation facility along with Education.

Children included in remedial education are provided with Medical check up camps (supportive aid, Corrective surgery etc) awareness programmes along with other sports and recreation facilities.

Medical camps are designed to be held every month for the deprived children of the centre as well as for the community women in the locality. These camps are mostly on general health care, common ailments, maternal health, ENT etc regularly. Awareness programmes are also being conducted for the community every month on various issues.

Desired Impact

• 50% of the children given NFE (non school going and also school dropouts) should be mainstreamed to some formal schools in appropriate class during the year and their retention in school ensured through follow–ups.

Smile Foundation and Community Outreach Programme (CORP) aspire to give a new direction to these children and set an example of community welfare in Mumbai slums.