Month: November 2022

India CSR News Network ( NOV 30, 2016)

Smile Foundation, the Indian partner for the global initiative being implemented in Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and South-Africa

India CSR News Network

NEW DELHI: Smile Foundation, a national level development organization, in collaboration with The Wilde Ganzen Foundation of the Netherlands, has organized a five day residential workshop for NGOs from nine states of India, called ‘LOCAL FUNDRAISING – EMPOWERING GRASSROOTS’ in New Delhi from November 29- December 3, 2016.

In the light of the current situation of constraint of foreign funds, the focus of the workshop is to orient grassroots NGOs with various local Fund Raising Skills and getting well versed with CSR Act and bridge the gap to garner funds from the estimated Rs. 40,000 crore CSR budget of the India Inc.

The workshop addresses the current challenges of sustainability of the grassroots NGO’s and equip them with the skills to operate in a more structured and effective manner. The workshop also assists them in building capacities at various project management techniques thus leading to sustainable growth of their organization.

27 participants from eighteen grass roots NGOs coming from nine states – such as Andhra Pradesh, Gujrat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telengana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh & West Bengal are participating in the workshop. The workshop is being conducted under the aegis of Change The Game Academy, a unique and one of its kind, e-learning platform that offers training to the Grassroots NGOs on sustainable solutions such as – local fundraising, building organizational capacity and mobilizing support to name a few.

The portal provides free e-learning courses, toolkits, inspiring case studies from across world and tips to replicate the same in Indian context with an active support of an extensive library. Apart from its presence in India, this program is also being implemented in Brazil, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and South-Africa.

Speaking on this occasion, Santanu Mishra, Co-Founder and Executive Trustee, Smile Foundation said, “There are thousands of Grassroot NGOs working in the distant parts of India. Most of them don’t have a proper training and knowledge and usually depend on available grants for their survival. Through this workshop, we want to speed up the process of development through grassroots level NGOs with the training from Change The Game Academy”.

Smile Foundation is a national level development organization benefitting over 400,000 underprivileged children, their families and the community directly through 158 welfare projects on subjects such as education, healthcare, livelihood, and women empowerment across 25 states of India. Adopting a life cycle approach of development, Smile Foundation focuses its interventions on children, their families and the community.

Wild Geese Foundation since 1958 supports people in their efforts to achieve a better future for their community. In addition to supporting small-scale projects, Wilde Geese Foundation invests in domestic resource mobilisation and claim making capacity in low & middle income countries for structural, long term change.

Source: http://indiacsr.in/change-the-game-academy-to-skill-grassroots-ngos-to-survive-on-local-funds-due-to-foreign-fund-crunch/

GoBarefoot blog (October 27, 2016)

“Their father abandoned them when they were just babies. I have been taking care of them all alone ever since. On days when I cannot get any work, I go to the jungles to collect Sal leaves and make plates from them. My children should not sleep hungry. That’s all that matters to me.” Muni Murmu (mother of three children).

As a daily wager, Muni Murmu struggles hard to feed her children. She believes only education can get her family out of poverty. Her children are among the brightest students at Smile Foundation‘s Mission centre – SERVE in Burdwan District, West Bengal.

Muni’s family is part of a remote tribal community residing in the village of Aandharsuli in Burdwan. Cut off from the mainstream world and all its amenities, the tribe here leads a difficult life. Other than farming, weaving and carpentry, making Sal plates is their only source of livelihood.

In this otherwise serene backdrop of tranquility, education of the children takes a backseat. With little access to educational facilities, children here spend their day helping their parents with farm work or doing odd household jobs. Consequences of which eventually lead to another generation making a living by doing work way beneath their potential.

Children of Aandharsuli would earlier traverse through 4-6 km of dense forest to reach the nearest government school. As a result, may would lose their interest in studies and drop out of school within months. But things changed when Mission Education centre – SERVE was set up in the village.

Children of Aandharsuli used to traverse through 4-6 km of dense forest to reach the nearest school.

Bringing the first batch of children to the centre proved to be quite a challenge. A dedicated team of community mobilisers and volunteers worked round the clock to identify each and every child of the community. The next step involved sensitising parents about the lifelong impact of education on their children’s lives.

The Mission Education project not only provides education to these children but also addresses their healthcare and nutritional needs, aiming at their holistic development. Special emphasis is laid on outdoor and extra-curricular activities. Not to miss the extra efforts put in by the teachers to make the learning process fun and engaging. 

Today, the centre has been successful in minimizing the school drop-out rate to 5% and increase the attendance of students by 80%. Being exposed to education, the community of Aandharsuli, led by its children, has shown a huge transformation. They are much more confident, expressive and above all, geared to lead a better life! The collective effort of the teachers, volunteers, mobilisers and of course the community has indeed paved way for a bright and empowered future of the children. 

Source: http://www.gobarefootblog.com/education/a-tale-of-transforming-the-tribe/

India Blooms (20 August 2010)

CCI launches T-shirt designing contest

India Blooms News Service

Kolkata, July 15 (IBNS) Cotton Council International (CCI), a non-profit organization devoted to the promotion of cotton in India, has announced the second edition of its T-Shirt design competition TeeZing on the theme “My Cotton World” where it offers every participant a chance to showcase their creativity and sketching skills.

The competition is open to young and old to express what cotton means to them.

To inspire participants, CCI is organizing visits by fashion designers to various centres of Smile Foundation, which works for poor children, across 6 cities- New Delhi, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad.

Sachit Bhatia, Senior Manager Representative, South Asia, Cotton Council International, said, “Cotton has inspired a lot of creations in the Indian fashion industry and to take this association to a new level, we have on board a group of fashion designers from various parts of the country who are traveling to different cities and mentoring the kids of Smile Foundation for participation in TeeZing so that they can come up with their best cotton creations.”

CCI has assembled a formidable team to judge the contest. The jury for this season will include leading names from the creative, design and fashion fraternity.

On Wednesday, renowned designer Pali Sachdev visited a Smile Foundation centre in Kolkata and shared tips with the participants to help them bring their cotton world to life in their designs.

Pali Sachdev said, “I am thankful to Cotton Council International for giving me this interactive platform to mentor the participants of TeeZing from Smile Foundation in Kolkata”.

“Cotton has always been an all time favourite fabric of designers in India. Though cotton is perceived as a summer fabric, it is truly a fabric for all seasons. Cotton reminds me of comfort and hygiene. I have used cotton in many of my creations and have a strong affinity for it,” Sachdev added.

The competition will run till July 22.

The top three national winners of TeeZing will be awarded cash prizes of Rs.1, 00,000, Rs. 75,000 and Rs. 50, 000 respectively.

In addition, the best designs will be retailed by Flying Machine, a popular brand in the ready-to-wear segment.

To increase the chances of winning for each participant, CCI has also allowed multiple entry options.

The competition was first held in 2009 as part of the International Year of Natural Fibers celebration. The competition was held simultaneously in 10 countries including India, with the objective to develop a positive disposition toward cotton, especially amongst the youth.

It is one of the many popular outreach activities undertaken by CCI globally.

Source: http://www.indiablooms.com/LifestyleDetailsPage/lifestyleDetails150710b.php

News 9 Express (18 October 2016)

Source : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR0uOw00liE

Deccan Chronicle Herald (October 13, 2016)

Life Style (22 July, 2010)

Perhaps, that’s what’s commendable of the corporates and all the commercial activity associated with it — a charity angle tangent to some social events.

Cotton Council International announced the second edition of its pan-India t-shirt design competition – Teezing. Herein fits the altruist angle; Cotton Council had Smile Foundation as charity partner for the event in Chandigarh.

“Although the competition is a pan-India level, but in association with Smile foundation it’s being organised in five more cities – Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad,” Anindita Majumdar, corporate communications officer, Smile, gives the details. The competition gives a chance to the young and the old alike to showcase their creativity and sketching skills. She adds, “The competition’s open to kids from all age groups but over here we have 75 kids from our foundation in the age group of seven to 15.” The best deigns will be retailed by Flying Machine, a ready-to-wear brand.

Meanwhile, the set of 12 sketch pens, drawing sheets, scales and paraphernalia has all opened. Not everyone’s stuck to the theme My Cotton World though; one’s busy colouring Mickey Mouse, other a hut, yet another’s drawing a hut against the backdrop of hills. While one more from among the crowd sticks to sketching river, flowers, butterflies, but written somewhere up in the clouds in between is cotton; perhaps drawing a parallel between nature and the fabric. In between Aman, a participant, stuck to the theme, with a huge print declaring, ‘If you want to go on, please wear cotton.’

Yet another had cotton written in big bold alphabets and is weaving a design around it. The competition’s based on the premise — how cotton touches every aspect of our lives.

The final eight compete at the national level. “All these kids are from our mission education programme and from here on the final selected eight will be participating in the nationals,” informs Anindita.

Thrown in between the competition were even cash and consolation prizes. “I’ll be judging these kids on the basis of how much they’ve stuck to the theme, My Cotton World, and of course how good their design will look on the t-shirt,” says April Sher Bhaika, freelance stylist, the jury for the event.

All this while the creative colourful work is still in progress. The teezing round with fun and fashionable cotton has just begun! — Manpriya Khurana

Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100722/ttlife1.htm#10

Business Standard (October 13, 2016)

Khabara (27 August 2010)

Saalam Bombay (7 october 2016)