Smile kids celebrate International Literacy Day at South City School Kolkata
Hallow Kolkata (09th September 2010)
Month: November 2022
Smile Foundation selects 50 underprivileged scholar girl children in Delhi
Indiacsr (30 June 2016)
NEW DELHI: In an effort to build exemplary role models where they are needed the most, Smile Foundation a national level development organization has selected 50 bright, scholar girls from marginalized and poor communities from the slums of Delhi to equip them to face challenges of the modern times.
Held under Smile Foundation’s Swabhiman programme, the capacity building programme imparted practical skills and information to these young scholars, enabling them to explore their potentials and established a positive self image and develop better career perspective. The event took place on 27 – 28 June, 2016 at Viswa Yuvak Kendra, Chankyapuri, New Delhi.
The workshop was conducted under the guidance of subject experts, trainers. It gave them a platform to meet the real life role models from various fields- women entrepreneur, teacher, nurse, fire brigade official, journalist, police woman officer etc.
The program aimed at encouraging young girls to share the issues which affect their lives and enable them to understand their potentials and make relevant choices for themselves, providing them a strong Leadership orientation so as to enable young girls to put their best abilities for achieving their life goals as per their interests and aptitude and providing them access to information and opportunities available.
The workshops during this camp empowered these young girls through various activities such as Yoga, Self exploration session, abhivyakti: effective communication through Media and theatre workshop, career counseling session, planning a common future and meeting the real life heroes.
Speaking on this occasion, Santanu Mishra, Co-founder & Executive Trustee, Smile Foundation said “In India, the girl child are usually deprived of their basic rights and education. Through this workshop we want to empower and inspire the younger girls to develop a road map for the future and make them self-aware, confident, take full charge of their own development and become a role model for thousand others.”
Smile Foundation, through its Scholarship programme has initiated efforts for the attitudinal shift of marginalized communities towards the girls’ education. The support is for school and college level girls in Delhi only. Most of the scholars strongly agree that due to Smile’s support they are motivated to achieve desirable education. Their families are also encouraged to continue the education of girl children further. They appreciate changes in the scholars in terms of their confidence, personality and information level.
Source : http://indiacsr.in/smile-foundation-selects-50-underprivileged-scholar-girl-children-in-delhi/
Rao’s Dhobi Ghat leads Indian Films
The Asian Age (10 September 2010)
Watch Ajay Devgn’s heartwarming gesture for kids this Father’s Day
Hindustan Times (19 June 2016)
Actor-filmmaker Ajay Devgn, a regular supporter of Smile Foundation, spread smile on the faces of some of the children of the NGO in Mumbai on Father’s Day on Sunday.
He met the children at his Juhu office, and later posted a video on Twitter. In the video, he is giving gifts to the smiling children, signing autographs and getting pictures clicked with them.
The actor, who has daughter Nysa and son Yug with wife actor Kajol, tweeted: “Thank you for your endless love. I am lucky to have so many children sharing their love with me on this Father’s Day.”
Smile Foundation, which aims to empower underprivileged children, youth and women through relevant education, innovative healthcare and market-focused livelihood programmes, has received immense support from many celebrities including international action star Jackie Chan, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan.
Stars Shine bright for less privileged kids & youth
The Times of India (05 June 2016)
On Friday night, the Virat Kohli Foundation and Smile Foundation, both of which work with underprivileged kids, hosted a star-studded charity dinner at Hyatt Regency, which was attended by cricketers Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Ajinkya Rahane, the scion of the Ambani family, Akash, and actress Divya Khosla Kumar, who was named ‘Goodwill Ambassador’ of Smile Foundation.
Virat Kohli walked the red carpet before posing with children from Smile. “The soul behind this initiative is to raise awareness and support the cause of education and skill training for the thousands of less-privileged children and youth in India,” he explained why the two organisations have joined hands.
The five-course dinner, curated by Michelin-starred chef Vikas Khanna, was complemented with performances by ‘Krazy Konnection’ singer Armaan Malik, Neeti Mohan, winner of Channel V’s show ‘Popstars’, and the creation of sand art by Nitish Bharti. About 30 kids from Smile attended the glitzy event – they walked the ramp with celebrities, participated in performances with Mohan and dancer-choreographer Sandip Soparrkar and a lucky few even danced with the ace cricketers. The entertainment was followed by a charity auction of high-end luxury products and cricket memorabilia that raised Rs 30 lakh.
Smile Foundation aims to empower the youth by running education and skill-training initiatives and providing proper nutrition. They claim to benefit about 4 lakh youth and their families. “We appreciate the philanthropic activities of the Virat Kohli Foundation,” wrote co-founder and executive trustee of Smile, Santanu Mishra. He adds that Kohli’s support, “strengthens our resolve” to reach out to other youngsters struggling to break free from poverty.
At the event, TOI met 15-year-old Neha Kapoor, who is part of Smile. She claims her grades improved dramatically after she began attending their after-school classes. The organisation also conducts art, dance and singing programmes – 11-year-old artist Yash Remje proudly labels a ‘Pokemon’ cartoon, which he sketched at their centre, as his best work.
Stars Shine bright for less privileged kids & youth
The Times of India (June 05, 2016)
‘Review: I am Kalam (selected for London Film Fest, wins awards in Germany)
Dearcinema (14 September 2010)
Former President A P J Abdul Kalam’s popularity with children is too well known to be recounted here. But what is not too well known yet is that his inspirational words for children has led to making of a full-length feature film that has found a place in the forthcoming 54th BFI London Film Festival’s World Cinema section.
The film is debutant Nila Madhab Panda’s “I am Kalam”, which has just won the Best Feature Film Award at the Lucas International Film Festival in Germany. It has also won the Don Quixote Prize of the International Federation of Ciné-Clubs (FICC) awards, and is on its way to a number of film festivals.
(India-US co-production Kavi by director Gregg Helvey won the best short film award at the Lucas Festival)
Set in Rajasthan, “I am Kalam”- the film is the story of Chhotu’s hunger for education, something which he cannot aspire to have because of his family’s poverty-stricken status.
Through an engaging, entertaining and fast-paced, fable-like narrative, the film takes the viewer to the world of Chhotu, who at one point starts referring to himself as Kalam after watching on TV, Kalam speak about how he got his education fighting several odds.
Naming himself as Kalam has more than a symbolic meaning for Chhotu (a name thrust upon him by people at the Dhaba, who, like most of us, care two hoots for the identity of little kids working at eateries, shops and other establishments, and insensitively calling all of them as ‘Chhotu’, (the small one). Chhotu has to work at the roadside Dhaba so that he can send some money to his mother back in the village home. Luckily for him, Dhaba owner Bhati is a kind man from the same village and indulges him after finding out that Chhotu is a fast learner.
Chhotu’s life takes an unexpected turn as he befriends Prince Ranvijay, whose father, an erstwhile “king” of a princely state, is running a heritage hotel at his ancestral palace across the street, where Chhotu goes to deliver tea to the guests. Both the kids bond big time, and Chhotu starts getting his education informally, courtesy Ranvijay’s old books and interacting with the costumers. Does Chhotu achieve his dream finally, is what the film all about?
Told in the classic prince-and-the-pauper format, the film strikes a chord with the viewers thanks to the heart-felt acting by Delhi slum boy Harsh Mayar in the title role of a young boy who could be another Kalam-like success story, provided he gets the opportunity to study and progress in life. Chhotu represents, in a way, millions of other kids who could become many Kalams, but for the unfortunate circumstances they find themselves in.
A sensitive film on the plight of the underprivileged, it is also about how the privileged class can play a role in the uplift of the less-privileged millions.
Panda, who has made over 60 short films, documentaries and television drama for Doordarshan, the BBC, Discovery Channel, NGC and private producers across the globe, says, “I believe in telling stories that have a universal appeal and a sense of purpose to the art that I create. I believe that the more local you get, the more global your access will be; and so here is one such local story. In all my films, I have explored the people’s basic needs and problem of the marginalized. I find such stories purposeful and exciting. I am also interested in making cinema for children and family; a genre that is much neglected in world cinema and more specifically in Asia.”
“’I am Kalam’ is a story of struggle that I have faced and observed since my own childhood. The film celebrates the survival of the human spirit against overwhelming odds. It could be a story from any developing country and especially with a colonial past. I started my career in filmmaking, working intensively on the issue of child labour. I understood that it is an inheritance of an exploitative structure that profits from cheap labour without any responsibility. This is also partly a true story I encountered 10 years back while I was shooting a documentary “Stolen Childhood” (produced by Barbara Broccoli of James Bond fame) in Rajasthan,” Panda says.
The strong narrative, scripted by Sanjay Chauhan (of Dhoop, Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara and Pan Singh Tomar fame) talks about how every child deserves to live his/her childhood, no matter where he/she is born. The film has an ensemble cast, including veteran actor Gulshan Grover (as Bhati the dhaba owner), child actor Hussan Saad of “Delhi 6” fame (as Prince Ranvijay), French actress Beatrice Ordeix, FTII-trained Pitobash Tripathy and Meena Mir. It is produced by an NGO Smile Foundation.
It also has some delightful music composed by Susmit Bose, often referred as the ‘Bob Dylan’ of India, and Deepak Pandit. Mohana Krishna of “Ishqiya” fame is the Director of Photography, while Kaamod Karade of “Ishqiya” and “Dasvidania” fame has done the sound design. Sanjay Dasgupta dons the role of Production Designer after “Oye Lucky Lucky Oye” and “Partition”, while costumes have been designed by Barnali Rath and Narender Singh.
“’I am Kalam’ is an inspirational film aimed at both children and adult viewers. To make it more interesting for viewers, I have given the treatment of a contemporary fable, which would surely attract children more since it promise you something that hard work will win half of the battle in life rather than luck. However, I would also see it as world cinema. It’s also a film where there is no use of any unnecessary props, is done in a simple style of storytelling, a tradition established by Satyajit Ray,” says Panda.
Source: http://dearcinema.com/review/review-i-am-kalam-selected-london-film-fest-wins-awards-germany
Categories
Batting for a Cause
Batting for a Cause
Asian Age (June 05, 2016)
Each one of us Wants to contribute : Vrat Kohli
HT Cafe (June 04, 2016)
Why is Sachin Tendulkar not attending Virat Kohli’s charity dinner in Mumbai?
The Economic Times (02 June 2016)
Virat Kohli, along with Smile Foundation, will host a charity gala dinner in Mumbai on June 3, where chef Vikas Khanna will be serving up for Kohli’s close cricketing friends, including Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh. But someone who seems to be missing out on the action is Sachin Tendulkar. While the cricketer has been invited, he seems to be staying under the radar, thanks to the recent comic drama with Tanmay Bhat. Tendulkar hasn’t sent his RSVP yet but Kohli is hoping he’ll be there. Perhaps the menu will tempt him. The cricketers will enjoy an elaborate sit-down dinner with lobster carpaccio, poached pear carpaccio, green asparagus soup, apricot braised lamb loin and Chilean sea bass, with chocolate hazelnut mousse and pralines for dessert.
The evening will also witness an auction of products like paintings by Anjolie Ela Menon, Seema Kohli and Babu Xavier, Tissot skeleton watches and limited edition Montegrappa pens. The foundation aims to raise Rs 50 lakh towards the cause of educating underprivileged children. Also on the auction block is Chris Gayle’s bat… the willow kind.