Smile Foundation India
SUPPORT A CAUSE
Logo
Smile Foundation India
DONATE NOW

Author: Smile Editorial Team

Categories
In The Spotlight

Implementing Early Childhood Education in the grassroots

Implementing Early Childhood Education in the grassroots

Agrassroot organization has the advantage of knowing people, culture, and political environment and can take the innovation and better implement it on the ground. Grassroots initiatives are community-based approaches created to address problems at a localized level. Moreover, projects backed by local organizations can quickly gain momentum because they are generally enacted by people in local communities. In a country like India a lot of the population is rural based and dependent on agriculture. There is a great need to work on various issues at the grassroots level. Creating awareness and sensitizing the population comes first. The importance of NGOs working for early childhood education at grassroots specifically in this context takes priority.

 

Education for Meaningful Progress

 

Education is the backbone of any grassroot campaign. Only an educated society can make meaningful progress. It is important therefore to raise awareness about issues such as education for children from an early age. There is a need to communicate effectively why it is such a concern. A higher level of visibility garners more support locally. Information can be used as power to make a difference, thus increasing the collective impact of the group. NGOs like Smile Foundation, working at the grassroots level can act as a catalyst. A lot of change can be bought in rural areas and urban slums. There is a section of population who either have first generation learners or have children of school going age. Most of the children are still out of schools. They mostly engage in daily wage earning.

 

Implementation of NEP for Early Childhood Education

 

The implementation of NEP 2020 pitches for a “5+3+3+4” design. It corresponds to the age groups 3-8 years which is the foundational stage. Next comes the age 8- age 11 which is the preparatory stage. 11-14 is the middle stage and 14-18 is the secondary stage. This change in policy brings early childhood education (also known as pre-school education for children of ages 3 to 5) under the ambit of formal schooling. NGOs working for education therefore will now be key players in remote, rural settings. They will thus act as catalyst to bring children of age 3-5 under the folds of education.

 

 

India is a vast country with a huge demographic and geographic divide. Hence, NGOs working for education play a key role in bringing people together. They play an important role in supporting the most vulnerable children access their Right to Education through innovative ideas. Firstly, by holding awareness workshops with parents they ensure that children are sent to school. Secondly, parent committees are formed to ensure that schools are run properly and that the children receive proper care and nutrition.

 

Awareness and Sensitization

 

The country is currently facing dynamic challenges in the realm of education. There is a need to implement policies in accordance and generate awareness amongst key stakeholders. Firstly on the importance of receiving education, imparting education, mobilization of society and engage communities for the delivery of education that is both productive and sustainable and in time can secure gainful employment for the beneficiary. It is the amalgamation of efforts by the government, not-for-profit organizations, societies, communities, corporates and individuals which can lead towards a successful approach in stitching customized and pragmatic solutions.

 

Smile Foundation an NGO working for education reaches over 48,000 children through 156 Mission education centers in 21 states every year. Cluster classes, remedial classes, mainstreaming children to formal schools are some of the activities done under Mission Education.  

 

To know more about Smile Foundation’s initiative on education visit https://www.smilefoundationindia.org/me/

Categories
In The Spotlight

Innovations in Education: Shifting to Online Education

Innovations in Education: Shifting to Online Education

A lot has changed in the education system in the past year. Due to the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown There was a sudden shift to online education and learning . More emphasis was laid on the mental health of students everywhere. In India the New Education Policy with its new innovations announced a new era for education system with a lot of policy changes as opposed to the last education policy. However, amid all these additions and changes the focus remained same; quality education for all and to make both school and college education more flexible and multidisciplinary to help bring out the unique capabilities of each and every student.

 

Shifting to Online Education

 

The pandemic has put restrictions on the classroom-based teaching and learning. Schools, colleges and educational institutions have now moved to online learning. Along with students teachers have had to prepare for this transition. In the face of a global crisis such as Covid-19 teachers globally have come together to ensure that the process of teaching and learning does not stop.

 

Changes in Education System Around the World

 

The Finnish education system is considered to be one of the best in the world. The system directed schools to ensure and arrange education services in exceptional conditions. The Finnish National Agency for Education guided schools to plan and organize different kinds of flexible learning arrangements for the children. Children have been learning at home with access to all course material. Similar arrangements were made in the United States and the United Kingdom. In countries like Belgium, China and Japan educational programmes are being broadcasted on national television. This was done to emphasize the importance to continue home education. Schools were provided with teaching resources and teaching plans. Social media was used to announce how to access those resources.

 

New Education Policy 2020

 

The National Education Policy 2020 has been a blessing in disguise for the changes in the Indian educational sector. Both online education and NEP 2020 are the need of the hour. The action points in the policy promises to establish a curricular framework for the schools. The framework will focus on promoting creativity, critical thinking, and innovation. The policy includes more transformational features like focusing on vocational studies, developing high-quality study modules. It will also dedicate units for online and digital learning and provide textbooks to teachers as well as students. These materials will be useful for homeschooling with a lot of self-learning components.

 

Innovations in Mission Education centers

 

Educators from the Mission Education programme made sure that no child was left behind in their studies. Teachers ensured that parents were also sensitized about the importance of letting their child continue with their education. Regular visits to villages and parent-teacher meeting were conducted to encourage children and parents alike. To make it easier for the children many teachers prepared notes and delivered them to the students. Teachers ensured that children did not drop out due to lack of resources.

 

 

Teachers from Mission Education centers of Smile Foundation conducted sessions for parents to help their children in online learning. Thus, regular online classes were held for children and notes and lessons were shared through the medium. In places where children did not have access to online mediums teachers began to conduct cluster classes. The Mission Education Centers explored every possible method to stay in touch with students coming from poor communities. In order to carry forward with the approach of blended learning, teachers made sure that lessons, homework and assignments continued. Despite all odds and there was no hindrance in the education system.

 

Smile Foundation’s Mission Education programme ensures that no child is left behind in the journey of education. Through its relentless work on ground the programme has been able to benefit more than 232,000 underprivileged children so far.

 

To know more about Smile Foundation’s initiative, Shiksha Na Ruke visithttps://www.smilefoundationindia.org/me/

Categories
In The Spotlight

Digital Fest and awareness for child education

Digital Fest and awareness for child education

The year 2020 has been such a tumultuous year for not just the afflicted but equally so for child education and for the children who have been practically under lockdown for almost 10 months now. With their outdoor activities curtailed & their schools shut, their happy memories are getting replaced by morbid images of the pandemic. While some students have adapted very well to the changes and practically metamorphosed into tech geniuses, there were still some who do not have the necessary devices to partake online education. CFC team decided to surge ahead with their mission of inculcating empathy amongst the privileged children and getting them galvanized for supporting the cause of Shiksha Na Ruke, an initiative for child education.

 

To put together an online fundraiser, the Child for Child team decided to organise a mini digital festival to say Goodbye to the year 2020 and raise awareness about child education, especially for underprivileged children. The two day digital fest over the 29th & 30th of December was also an attempt to get parents enthused about the mission of Smile Foundation and to apprise them of the work being done at the grassroots level  under the Shiksha Na Ruke campaign.

 

By the 22nd of December posters & event details were circulated amongst 4 schools, Swami Sant Dass Public School, Guru Amar Dass Public School, Cambridge International School & A I International School. The Principals of these schools too got caught in the fervor and ensured that their students participated in the contests with equal enthusiasm. Parents too felt that that this was the moment when children from within the confines of their homes could work for something that excited them immensely and slogged just as hard side by side to ensure that their wards put together their best performances. Children who were familiar with the Zoom platform immediately registered and started preparing for the contest day.

 

 

Theme for day one Fancy dress contest was “Environment Matters”. Children were at their creative best when they came up with the most vivid costumes for the competition, and what was also apparent was the effort that had been made by parents to put together the look for their wards. Students worked hard over a week to make their costumes that reflected elements of nature. They focused on various aspects of Mother nature;  from the polluted rivers, the plastic pollution on this planet, the junk food that have replaced healthy diets, the trees that are being cut irresponsibly to noise pollution in our cities.

 

Theme for day two for the Song & Dance competition was Contemporary & Classical. Fancy numbers from movies were discouraged. The talent that was on display over the 3 hours of the event was phenomenal. It was heartening to see how beautifully students were using the room space within their homes to put up spectacular performances. Students picked up Punjabi Folk, Ghumar, Fusion, Tandav, Kathak, Thumri and Contemporary numbers as their choice of dances. The atmosphere created by students in the rooms where they had practically set up mini stages was stunning and the efforts made by parents were also visible. For the singing competition students chose Gurbani, Bhajan & patriotic numbers as their choice of songs for the competition. Students not only sang, they also played musical instruments like the Harmonium during their performance. In the 3 hours that went by it almost felt like a concert had been put together by these students.

 

To regale the audience during event recesses, students from DPS Bangalore, East and Lotus Valley International School, Gurgaon performed Live as well as shared their pre recorded performances.

 

Agastya Trikha on Guitar & vocals, Agrim Sharma on Guitar, Tanvi Kundri on Drums, Shreyas Subramaniam on Tabla, Tanisha Mathur on Piano,  Dhaiwik Naidu on Veena, Rahil SK on the Keyboards, Noel Jajo for his vocals and the combo of Mrunalini on Vocals & Varda on Guitar. Their performances were highly appreciated and added to the richness of the 2 –day event.

 

The digital fest went off smoothly and the judges for both the days Ms. Khushboo Singh from Jamshedpur for Fancy Dress competition and Ms. Rena Banik from Kolkata for Song & Dance competition too had a wonderful time doing their enviable task of watching, enjoying and sharing words of encouragement for the children. However, they definitely had a tough time arriving at the final decision for winners.

 

The winners for song competition were Shrey Thaper (1st position-Gurbani), Harleen Kaur (2nd position- Bhajan) and Nivi Thapar (3rd position- Patriotic). The winners for the dance competition were Prisha Duggal (1st position- Kathak Tarana), Maanya (1st position- Fusion), Shipra Tripathy (2nd position- Shiv Taandav), Angel Singh (2nd position- Fusion), Pranvi (3rd position- Thumri), Sukhleen (3rd position- Ghumar) and special mention to Jaspreet Aitan for his amazing bhangra performance.

 

The winners for fancy dress competition were Mayra Gaba (1st position- Ganga River), Aastik Gaba (1st position-Ozone Layer), Kavya (2nd position- Poly Bag), Harshika Kaul (2nd position- Reusing Newspaper), Harmanpreet (2nd position- Tree), Gurleen Kaur (3rd position- Plastic waste), Tejvinder Kaur (3rd position- Plastic bag) and Diya Gharu (3rd position- Tree)

The entire team of Child For Child too joined in from different parts of the country. The amalgamation of students and audience from pan India and the coming together of all elements for a special two day digital fest, have  left us at CFC feeling extremely motivated to organise an even bigger digital fundraiser event to ring in 2021 and raise awareness about child education at the same time.

 

Let us all hope & pray for a better 2021! Many congratulations to all Participants and Winners of the 2-day Digital fest!

 

To know more about Child for Child programme visit https://www.smilefoundationindia.org/childforchild.html

Categories
Partners In Change

Children spread the Christmas cheer!

Children spread the Christmas cheer!

The year 2020 has seen unprecedented situations unfolding before our eyes, disruptions in their truest sense have left their mark in every aspect of our lives, but life as we know carries on. The way with which children have been patiently dealing with the pandemic, the lockdowns, the so called new normal, as also adopting new technology, has been reflective of their indomitable strength of character. Whatever the situation, we need to remember that certain things are constant, and one such thing is the enthusiasm & fervour with which children participate in competitions. Children have adapted marvelously to the changes that impacted their education, their mode of education and their ability to physically participate in the umpteen activities that had been integrated with their daily routines. 

 

 

And so, it was time to muster up some competitive threads, weave in speckles of altruism and stitch together a festive bunting. Child For Child team of Smile Foundation decided that with Christmas 2020 round the corner, it was time to have some fun and bring out the celebratory spirit amongst children from across as many schools as possible pan India. 

 

The Annual CFC Christmas Fest started on the 8th of December all the way till the 20th of December. A Christmas themed poster making competition & Essay Writing competitions was put together for children who could participate by either making a poster &/or writing an essay depending upon the category they would fall in. The theme of the poster, draw a favourite fairy tale character or a favourite digital character next to a Christmas Tree and Essay competition based on the topic, “Your understanding of a Charitable Christmas” revolves around Christmas.

 

The winner for the poster competition in category A (KG-2nd Grade) were Vivaan Verma (1st position), Prabhleen Kaur (2nd position) and Anumegha Maitra (3rd position). In category B (3rd-5th Grade) the winners were Ojasvi Aggarwal (1st position), Kaashvi Mahajan (2nd position), Keertesh Sharma and Kriday Arora(3rd position). In category C (6th-9th Grade) the winners were Aditi Sharma (1st position), Somil Mahajan (2nd position), Arunika Varshney and Mohul Banerjee(3rd position). The category D (10th-12th Grade) winners were Prajit Deepak Naik (1st position), Samridhi Gupta (2nd position), S Ram Phutane (3rd position).

 

For the essay competition the winners for category A (6th-8th Grade) were Dhruv Dhingra (1st position), Evangeline Shekina (2nd position), Jaishree (3rd position). Winners for category B (9th-12th grade) were Anshika Prasad (1st position), Madhumitha Siddeshwar (2nd position) and Manya Sehgal (3rd position). Brinda Kari was the winner for the Digital Posters competition.

 

The jurors for the competition were Ms. Sangeeta Murthy for the Painting competition & Ms. Deepa Pal, juror for Essay writing competition.

 

To know more about CFC visit https://www.smilefoundationindia.org/childforchild.html

Categories
Nutrition

Importance of Nutrition for Children

Importance of nutrition for children

A healthy nutritious diet is an essential component in the growing and developing years of children. It aids in building a strong foundation in the child with regards to staying healthy and imbibing good eating habits right from childhood. The 3 most important benefits of early childhood nutrition are; it helps in building immunity against various infectious diseases, ensures proper development of brain and other vital organs and improves a child’s activity levels and cognitive functioning. Therefore, proper nutrition for children is important as it sets the stage for them towards living a healthy and balanced life for the rest of their lives.

As per the Global Nutrition Report 2018 nearly half of all under-5 child mortality in India is attributable to undernutrition. Poor nutrition in the first 1000 days of a child’s life can also lead to stunted growth, which is associated with impaired cognitive ability and reduced school and work performance. Malnutrition in children occurs as a complex interplay among various factors like poverty, maternal health illiteracy, diseases like diarrhea, home environment, dietary practices, hand washing and other hygiene practices, etc. In the 2019 Global hunger Index, India ranks 102 out of 119 qualifying countries. With a score of 30.3, India suffers from a level of hunger that is serious.  Nearly 47 million or 4 out of 10 children in India are not able to meet their full human potential because of chronic under nutrition or stunting.

The Mission Education programme of Smile Foundation has initiated the campaign ‘Nutrition for Education’, wherein nutrition is provided to lesser privileged children, helping them get not only better health, but also better education, and other development opportunities.Smile Foundation initiated a nationwide awareness campaign on the importance of nutrition and health in underprivileged communities across India, with support from Yum! and Herbalife. Under this programme that is spread across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bihar, Tripura, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, the campaign aims at sensitizing children, their families and communities, towards the importance of nutritious food, leading to better health, education and other opportunities for the children.  Through these projects Smile Foundation has been able to reach out to almost 4500 underprivileged children and provide one-time meal as per age specific Kcal value required.

The children belong to households where the parents are engaged as daily wage labourers, factory workers and other small scale entrepreneurs. With Smile’s nutrition program, children need not pack their lunch as they can have the freshly cooked hot meals at noon in school along with their friends. These delicious meals are looked forward to by the children as many a times; they do not have access to 3 proper square meals a day. Interestingly, there is an increase in regular attendance, decreased drop-outs and improved academic and over-all performance of children. Parents are contented and grateful that their children have access to a healthy and nutritious meal at least once a day.

Hence, a child’s healthy development is not complete without proper nutrition. Once the importance of good nutrition is instilled in a child, it remains with her/him in guiding him to live a positive, healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

To know more about the nutrition campaign visit https://www.smilefoundationindia.org/plate-half-full/

Categories
In The Spotlight

Sponsor Child Education For a Better Future

Sponsor Child Education For a Better Future

Education is one of the key components which brings growth and progress into society. When more people in a society are educated, they can provide valuable contribution to their environment. Education is a powerful agent of change. It drives long-term economic growth, improves health and livelihoods and contributes to social stability. Education is also essential to the realization of every one of the 17 sustainable development goals. Hence it is the duty of every individual to sponsor child education, to step towards a bright future.

 

There are 6 million children in India who are currently out of school due to poverty. The only way out for these children is through education. Education gives underprivileged children a chance to improve their lives, gain knowledge and acquire skills. But there are many who never see the insides of a classroom, who will never hold a pen to write or be able to read.

 

Many families do not understand the long-term benefits of sending children to school. Their immediate needs for sustenance outweigh the need for education. Hence, many end up doing petty jobs or household chores. It is important to understand that when we sponsor a child,, we are taking them out of the cycle of poverty.

 

When we sponsor child education, especially girl child education it helps improve the living conditions of a family. When a girl gets educated she has the chance to earn. More income means better healthcare and nutritionfor her and her family. It reduces the chances of girls getting married at a young age which in turn means she will not be a child herself when she becomes a mother. When an educated girl becomes a mother she is able to provide better care to her children at home, thus ensuring that her children are empowered. Educated girls and women are empowered to pursue their dreams of a better life. They have greater confidence and freedom to make decisions that affect their lives.

 

Smile Foundation’s education programme Mission Education ensures that education reaches to the most underserved and underprivileged sections of the society. Currently there are 240 centres across 23 states of India providing education to more than 32,000 children every year.

 

To sponsor child education the first step is to sensitize the general masses about the need of such an activity.  When the privileged section of the society understand their obligation towards the ones who are less privileged only then can we bring change. The children living in the rural and urban slums of the country need urgent attention and it is our duty as citizens of the country to arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached.

 

Sponsor a child’s education; help a child step into a bright future. When we support education we take a step towards a society which is equal and change the world for the better.

Categories
Insights

Importance of Educational NGOs in India

Importance of Educational NGOs in India

Education is an important component for the growth of a society. In India a number of children are deprived of education, most drop out due to poverty and girls seldom get a chance. It has become important for educational NGOs in India to intervene to reach the most remote areas and urban slums where the migrant population reside.  According to The National Sample Survey Organization’s 2017-18 household survey there are 3.22 crore out-of-school children in India (6-17 years). Seasonal migration, child labor, poor infrastructures of schools, lack of teachers, distance, lack of resources at home and illiterate parents are the major causes of children dropping out of school or not opting to go to school at all. When the pandemic hit the world at the beginning of 2020, it gave rise to more problems in education; confusion regarding continuation of schools amid strict lockdown rules, losing out on learning due to lack of access to online classes hit the underprivileged the most.

 

Educational NGOs in India work together with the government to realize the objective of universalization of Elementary Education. NGOs have a tendency to work in the grassroots of the society, in small locations to first achieve the impact on ground. Based on the principle of people’s participation NGOs work to improve education, social welfare, reduce poverty, and develop civil society. NGOs can be seen as alternative agencies which are working on ground to promote awareness, sensitize and to bring a change and improvement in society.

 

The major objectives of educational NGOs in India are to increase the number of school going children,developing other learning skills in local schools & communities, provide inclusive education to children with special needs and work as a catalyst to bring sustainable change in the lives of the children with a life-cycle approach of development.

 

 

Smile Foundation, one of the top educational NGOs in India is reaching children through its education programme Mission Education. Mission Education, started in the year 2002 has so far benefitted more than 232,000 underprivileged children. Through more than 240 centers across 23 states Smile Foundation is not just reaching the children but also the communities in which the children live. Through regular interactions parents are sensitized about the need and importance of education for boys and girls, abolishing child labor, opting for healthier habits. Community mobilizers and volunteers regularly visit these children to check on their progress and extra classes are provided to those students who face difficulties with their lessons. When schools were shut down to stop the spread of Covid-19, teachers from Mission Education children ensured through their hard-work and dedication that no child was left behind in their journey of learning. Parents were taught to assist their children to attend online classes. In remote rural areas of states like Rajasthan, West Bengal and Karnataka where people belonged to the most underserved sections cluster classes were introduced for children to continue their education. 

 

The importance of educational NGOs in India like Smile Foundation is immense as NGOs can change the face of India in the fields of primary and secondary education. It is the duty of every member of the society to contribute to the cause to make the initiatives of the NGOs successful and enable change in the society.

Categories
In The Spotlight

Role of NGOs in Childhood Education

Role of NGOs in Childhood Education

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to the closure of institutions and schools subsequently leading to massive gaps in the education of children. In India alone, it has affected the millions of school going children living in rural and urban areas. To aid development from the grassroots it makes the role of NGOs in childhood education all the more important. According to an annual survey conducted by ASER (Annual Status of Education Report) many young children have not joined school. There is a sharp jump in the percentage of out-of-school children in the age- group of 6-10. This has gone up from 1.8% (in 2018) to 5.3% (in 2020) and among all children up to 16 years from 4% to 5.5%.

 

Why NGOs for Education are Important

 

The role of NGO for education in a child’s growing years under such grim conditions has become very crucial. There are numerous NGOs which have taken up the onus of education of kids. These NGOs also develop innovations that will improve the quality of primary education. The operations of an NGO in the grassroots level not only includes children attending school. It also helps by involving the community as a whole. There are villages and slums in India where many children are first-generation learners. They belong to underprivileged families of migrant laborers, daily-wage workers and their families seldom understand the importance of education. In such cases the role of an NGO for childhood education becomes important. They help sensitize families, involve the community and encourage the out of school children to go back to school.

 

Smile Foundation’s work in Education

 

Smile Foundation an NGO in India has been working in the field of education since the year 2002. The organization has so far benefitted more than 232,000 underprivileged children from underprivileged communities, reaching children in small villages of Nagaland to the urban slums of Mumbai and Delhi. Smile Foundation volunteers and community workers sensitize parents of children and community members.

 

The role of NGOs oj education is an important one
The role of NGOs oj education is an important one

 

The vision of Smile Foundation is to work as a catalyst in bringing sustainable change in the lives of underprivileged children and their families, with a life-cycle approach of development. Through its intervention Mission Education the organization has been able to bring many underprivileged children under the folds of education. These children are currently unable to attend formal schools due to poverty, inaccessibility, health issues, etc. The Mission Education centers also aid in the development of other learning skills for example gardening, keeping the environment clean. There are many Mission Education centers which provide inclusive education to children with special needs. Special emphasis is given on girl child education and women education, so that they and their families get empowered.

 

The pandemic and the subsequent lockdown affected the education of many children who study in the Mission Education centers of Smile Foundation. To mitigate the crisis the Shiksha Na Ruke initiative was introduced recently which is providing underprivileged children access to continuous learning through the online mode.

 

Role of NGOs in child education is very important. To fulfil the same, proper support, resources and mobilization of the local communities is required to bring about a great change in the field of primary & secondary education in India.

Categories
In The Spotlight

KEEPING CHILDREN ENGAGED DURING LOCKDOWN

What can children learn from the Football World Cup 2022?
What can children learn from the Football World Cup 2022?

As schools shut down to stop the spread of Coronavirus millions of children around the world got displaced from their schools. Everything that a child has to do in his/her life now has to happen from inside the house for an uncertain period of time and parents have had to find ways to smoothly transition kids into at-home life. Parents are faced with the difficulty of keeping their children engaged not only in school-work but also in extra-curricular activities to help them cope with the situation. The biggest challenge that most parents are facing is to keep children off-screens after the completion of online-classes. The pandemic and lockdown has been hard on both children and their parents, the need to find common ground for self-care along with caring for the children is of primary importance. There are various ways to make the best of the situation.

 

Making a routine

 

 Children are used to following a schedule, so making a routine for the day for various activities will help everything fall into place. Routines help parents monitor screen time of a child on an everyday basis and plan out different activities which will allow parents to enjoy time with their kids and also help in keeping children engaged.

 

Gardening

 

 

Gardening is a great learning and fun activity. It helps children learn about where food comes from, and how things grow. Gardening helps in sensory development of children and is a great way to teach responsibility and patience. Re-growing vegetables from scraps helps in building scientific temper and curiosity in children. It is also relaxing for children in many ways easing the anxiety of lockdown.

 

Exercising or Practicing Yoga

 

 

One of the easiest and healthiest parents can do with children is to practice Yoga or exercise with them daily. Both activities are great for improving overall health and keep the energy levels high a necessity during these times! Physical activity is good not only for physical well-being, but also for mental health, attention and focus. It is also a great opportunity to teach children the importance of having and maintaining good health.

Art and Craft

 

 

Engaging in arts and craft activities provide children with a unique and fun opportunity to learn and create. Many children express through art, which help parents get a better insight into how their child is feeling and also makes children more creative and productive.

Reading with Children

 

 

Apart from books in the curriculum children should also be encouraged to read story-books. Stories help build imagination and creative though in children. Reading for children and with children is a great way to bond and also help them build their vocabulary.

 

Other activities like encouraging children to write stories help them make use of their imagination, asking them to help around the kitchen while baking or cooking, learning a new language and following a new hobby like bird watching can also help children cope with little or no socialization with their peers and staying indoors while also bonding with their parents and siblings.

 

To know more about Smile Foundation visit https://www.smilefoundationindia.org/

Categories
In The Spotlight

SELF-CARE FOR MENTAL & PHYSICAL WELL-BEING

SELF-CARE FOR MENTAL & PHYSICAL WELL-BEING

Self-care is important to our mental and overall health. It is any activity that we engage in to take care of our personal needs and well-being. It is vital to our mental and overall health and, most of the times it is something that we often neglect to practice.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on all aspects of our health and it cannot be understated. People continue to be infected at record rates with the virus, many others are grieving the loss of loved ones and some are dealing with financial distress. The pandemic is wearing us down; physically and emotionally. At such times focusing on self-care has become all the more important.

 

Following the basics of self care

 

Eating healthy food, getting a good night’s sleep and being active are bedrock of good self-care. Working out inside the house, practicing mindfulness or meditation are also important parts of self-care. These are activities which do not necessarily need any excessive expenses. It is important that locals, especially the elderly residing in rural areas or urban slums be sensitized to practice the same to reduce pandemic induced stress and anxiety. Engaging in extra-curricular activities also induce feel-good hormones as the mind is stress free and gives one the window to escape the web of negative thoughts. Self-care empowers people improve their quality of life; It allows people to take their health and wellbeing into their own hands. It improves recovery times and plays a key role in the prevention of certain health conditions. In the current times the most important of all self care activities are physical distancing, hand washing and taking care of respiratory hygiene.

 

Understanding your mental health for self care

 

One of the most important and urgent aspects of self care is mental well-being. Issues related to mental well-being of a person are seldom talked about because of the social- stigmas attached to the topic, but keeping oneself isolated and coping silently is not the answer. Of the many reasons why we need to talk about mental health, stigma is arguably the most important. Open dialogue about mental health can help everyone heal and it is one of the necessary steps for self-care.

 

How self care helps those around you

 

 

Humans are communal beings. Nurturing friendships, family and those in the community is essential to self-care. When we begin self-care we start to understand the needs of those around us. The realization of caring for someone else’ happiness and well-being takes us on a journey of compassion, making us more caring and humane.

 

Self-care has long-term benefits for the mind if practiced correctly It brings your goals into sharper focus, helps one concentrate yielding in better productivity. It causes less stress leading to a better immune system. It helps one to be less critical of oneself. This can go a long way towards enhanced self-esteem. And do not forget that self-care needs practice, so start your journey today.

0%