Month: September 2024

• PepsiCo Foundation, Smile Foundation, and Sangrur District Administration partnership tackled nutrition challenges
• Three-year initiative surpasses goals, impacting 60,000 lives through innovative nutrition and community efforts
• Aligned with Poshan Abhiyaan, NEP bolsters nutrition security and infrastructure in 23 Sangrur villages

Sangrur, 23 August 2024: The PepsiCo Foundation, in collaboration with Smile Foundation and the Sangrur District Administration, announced the successful culmination of a three-year initiative: the Nutrition Enhancement Program (NEP). Aligned with PepsiCo Positive (pep+), PepsiCo’s end-to-end strategic transformation with sustainability at its center, this program has significantly exceeded its targets, making substantial strides in addressing the critical challenges of maternal and child nutrition in the Sangrur district of Punjab.

The NEP impacted over 16,000 beneficiaries directly and reached approximately 45,000 individuals overall – more than three times the original target. This remarkable achievement underscores the program’s effectiveness in transforming the nutritional landscape of the region. The program focused on improving the nutritional status of pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children aged 0-6 years across 23 villages, encompassing 27 Anganwadi Centres in the Bhawanigarh,  Dhuri, Sunam and Monak blocks of Sangrur.

Yashika Singh, Head of Corporate Affairs, Communication & Sustainability, PepsiCo said, “The Nutrition Enhancement Program is a testament to PepsiCo Foundation’s commitment to sustainable community development. By collaborating with Smile Foundation and the Sangrur District Administration, we’ve not only surpassed our targets but have also built a model for public-private partnership that addresses deep-rooted nutritional challenges. We are grateful to all our partners and the community members who have been pivotal in this transformative journey; enabling a healthier future for the most vulnerable populations—young mothers and children.”

“This program has exceeded our expectations in both reach and impact,” said Santanu Mishra, Co-founder & Executive Trustee of Smile Foundation. “The collaborative effort between PepsiCo Foundation, the ICDS department, and the Sangrur District Administration has led to visible and inspiring results, contributing to the government’s broader goals of nutritional security.”

Key highlights of the NEP’s multipronged approach include:

• Community Engagement: Engaged over 9,750 participants in community sessions, household visits, and special day observations, significantly exceeding the initial target of 5,000.
• Capacity Building: Conducted eight capacity-building sessions for Anganwadi workers and trained 38 teachers across 21 schools, surpassing initial training targets.
• Health and Screening Camps: Organized 260 health camps, far exceeding the planned 60 camps, benefiting thousands of women and children.
• Infrastructure Enhancement: Refurbished 27 Anganwadi Centres, transforming them into hubs of nutritional and health education.
• Innovative Nutrition Interventions: Introduced community kitchen gardens, developed recipe booklets, and implemented anaemia awareness sessions, reaching over 2,000 adolescents in 21 schools.

The broader significance of the NEP aligns with global efforts to combat malnutrition, as highlighted by the UN’s ‘State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024’ report. India holds a 14.37% share of the world’s undernourished population consisting of 194.6 million individuals, especially prevalent among women and children.

The northern region of Punjab, in particular, bears a burden higher than the national average, with 23% of children under five suffering from stunted growth and 14% of women displaying below-normal body mass index (BMI), as highlighted by the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-21. These figures underline the need for localized interventions like the NEP to address the nuanced challenges faced by communities in Sangrur.

Aligned with the goals of the Poshan Abhiyaan by the Government of India, the NEP improved the nutritional status of children, women, and adolescent girls. This initiative underscored PepsiCo India’s guiding principle of ‘Unnati ki Sajhedari- Partnership of Progress.’ Through this principle, PepsiCo emphasizes collaboration with all stakeholders—government, civil society, and the community—towards holistic progress for all.

ABOUT PEPSICO FOUNDATION

The PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, invests in the essential elements of a sustainable food system with a mission to support thriving communities. Working with non-profits and experts around the globe, we’re focused on helping communities obtain access to food security, safe water and economic opportunity. We strive for tangible impact in the places where we live and work—collaborating with industry peers, local and international organizations, and our employees to affect large-scale change on the issues that matter to us and are of global importance. Learn more at www.pepsico.com/pepsico-foundation

ABOUT SMILE FOUNDATION

Smile Foundation is an Indian development organization, working in the areas of education. skilling, nutrition, and healthcare across 27 states of India, benefitting 1.5 million children and their families directly every year. Visit www.smilefoundationindia.org

Festival opened with Polish Super-hit, ‘Lampo – The Travelling Dog’

Bhubaneswar; 7^th of September 2024: Smile Foundation, in partnership with the European Union, hosts the first-ever European film festival in Bhubaneswar. Being organised under the Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth (SIFFCY), this three-day edition is tailor-made for school children and is scheduled from 6th to 8th of September, 2024 in DAV Public School, Chandrasekharpur.

“This is an honour for me to bring such an innovative and international platform for thousands of children my home state, Odisha,” said Mr. Jitendra Mishra, SIFFCY Director.

The opening ceremony was graced by Mr. Jitendra Mishra, acclaimed filmmaker and festival director of SIFFCY, Ms. Magdalena Filipczuk, Director Polish Institute, Embassy of Poland, New Delhi, and Mr. Volodymyr Prytula, Second Secretary (Culture, Press & Information), Embassy of Ukraine in India. In addition, Dr Sujata Sahu, Principal-cum-Asst. Regional Officer, DAV Public School, Chandrasekharpur; Ollywood stars Mr. Sabyasachi Mishra, Ms. Archita Sahu, award-winning filmmaker Mr. Sabyasachi Mohapatra and Mr. Sujit Mahapatra, founder of Bakul Foundation were accompanied by other dignitaries from the education, media and entertainment industries.

“We have come to Odisha, with the curated feature movies and animations for children. We have been planning together with Smile Foundation since February and I am amazed by the appreciation this festival has received in Odisha. Children here are happy with EU movies, besides being very engaged and active. So happy to be in such a welcoming city as Bhubaneswar and to cooperate with Smile Foundation,” said Ms. Magdalena Filipczuk, Director Polish Institute, Embassy of Poland, New Delhi.

The three-day festival is powered by the Polish Institute, New Delhi and is supported by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in New Delhi, Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of India, and the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre, New Delhi, and SCHLiNGEL International Film Festival, Germany. The event is supported locally by Bakul Foundation and DAV Public School, Chandrasekharpur.

“It is a great honour for Ukraine to be represented here in Bhubaneswar at SIFFCY@SCHOOL for the first time. I was impressed by the Q&A session wherein we discussed the possibility of having a project between the DAV School and schools in Ukraine. I would also like to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation to Smile Foundation for doing such a great work in promoting international cinema in India, especially for children. Dhanyabada (thank you),” remarked Mr. Volodymyr Prytula, Second Secretary (Culture, Press & Information), Embassy of Ukraine in India.

Several award-winning films from across Europe are being screened in these three days, that include Lampo, the Travelling Dog from Poland; Mission Ulja Funk, Germany, Poland, Luxembourge; Dronya’s Artifices, Ukraine; The Tesla Case, Bulgaria; Birds of Passage, France, Belgium; Shorts animation collection from the Czech Republic; Loop, Italy and many other handpicked films. During the festival, a filmmaking workshop for children was also hosted by award-winning filmmaker Mr. Snehasis Das.

“Good cinema becomes an interesting and engaging alternative to stimulate discussion among young people about vital personal, societal, moral and world issues,” expressed Mr. Santanu Mishra, chairman of SIFFCY and co-founder of Smile Foundation.

About SIFFCY:

SIFFCY (Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth) is an initiative by Smile Foundation to entertain, engage, educate and empower young minds. It is based on a strong belief that good cinema represents much more than entertainment; rather this is the most powerful medium to depict the reality and emulate values. Visit: https://siffcy.org/

About SIFFCY@SCHOOL:

SIFFCY@SCHOOL is an outreach programme of Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth that aims to bring children’s cinema from across the world to the doorsteps of the young Indian audience. As education in today’s world goes beyond books and classrooms, and what better than films to engage and inspire the young!

This is a part of our larger efforts to sensitize the country’s children and youth to become positive change-makers who can thoughtfully contribute to making the world a better place. SIFFCY@SCHOOLS is organized in collaboration with like-minded schools, institutions and local organizations. With the support of our amazing and committed school partners, we have already reached out and engaged millions of children and youth across India.

About Smile Foundation:

Smile Foundation is an Indian development organization directly benefiting over 1.5 million children and their families every year through more than 400 welfare projects on education, healthcare, livelihood, and women empowerment spread across 2,000 villages and urban clusters in 28 states. Visit www.smilefoundationindia.org

Kolkata; Aug 27: A coffee table book titled “From Canvas to Community” was released by Berger Paints India Ltd. It contained a dozen of case studies, selected from over 3,00,000 household painters who have been trained across India.

Berger Paints India Limited has partnered with Smile Foundation carry out “iTrain on Wheels” programme, an upskilling initiative aimed at honing the skills of young painters by training them in contemporary painting techniques while simultaneously upskilling existing painters to enhance their employability opportunities. The programme aims to develop a pool of skilled workforce in addition to developing entrepreneurial skills in painters.

Currently 23 Mobile iTrains projects are operational in 25 states and three union territories, covering 289 districts, out of which 51 are aspirational districts. So far 3 lakhs household painters have already been trained and upskilled free of cost, resulting in increase in their incomes and many of them turning entrepreneurs.

Berger Paints India Ltd and Smile Foundation are proud to announce a groundbreaking initiative aimed at empowering women painters simultaneously in the male-dominated trade of painting through mobile skill training initiative.

Through this innovative programme, men and women are being equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in the paint industry. The training not only provides them with valuable technical skills but also empowers them to take control of their own lives and create a better future for themselves and their families.

“This initiative is a testament to the power of collaboration and commitment to make a positive impact in the lives of ordinary household painters. We are thankful to Berger Paints India Ltd for its trust in Smile Foundation to implement this innovative programme. By providing women with the tools they need to succeed in the paint industry, we are not only empowering them but also contributing to the overall development of society,” Said Mr. Santanu Mishra, Co-founder & Executive Trustee, Smile Foundation.

As part of the iTrain on Wheels initiative we continuously engage with communities and uncover inspiring success stories from across the country. To bring these stories together in one place, we are excited to launch a coffee table book titled ‘ From Canvas to Community ‘, which showcases some of these remarkable journeys.