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

Author: Smile Editorial Team

Categories
Smile

Importance of Primary Education

Importance of Primary Education

Right to Primary Education is a fundamental right in India.  Free-education is now being provided to every boy and every girl up to the primary level. Every child ought to get quality education. The parents and guardians should understand the value of education and send their children to primary schools. As knowledge of health, hygiene and morals play an essential role in our lives. Elementary learning of well being and cleanliness is an important thing for primary education for keeping the child’s physical well being in good condition. playing and exercising also help to create social skills and participation abilities of the child. Moral education helps to develop sentiments of the child and also helps in developing the ability to see positive outlooks and have a clear point of view. Primary education does not only mean dealing with books and learning but it also highlights the importance of hygiene and good nutrition. We cannot ignore the importance of primary education as it also works for the betterment of poverty issues of a country. In India, child labour has also been banned for the improvement in literacy rate and to make sure that children do not work in difficult and risky conditions. Education has been made free for the people who cannot afford it and are therefore forced to not go to schools .The future of our nation relies on the children of today.

 

Challenges faced by the education system in a developing nation 

 

Technology in classrooms can help you experiment more but it can also be a distraction for students. It also stops the children from communicating verbally.

 

Some schools in developing countries do not even have a classroom which results in not getting proper education.

 

Children who are poor often tend to be malnourished which affects the brain and its development. Poverty has always been a barrier to schooling.

 

Some students leave schools due to pressure from their parents so that children can look after their homes while their parents are working.

 

Quality education has been a major problem in the education system , the lack  dedicated teachers who  take the extra mile to support students emotionally and socially.

 

What we can do

 

  • Primary education should be made as much more enjoyable as possible.
  • We should have schools that provide education to children living in villages and not only the urban areas.
  • Schools should also provide training for skills that the students are interested in, for e.g. painting, handicraft.
  • Communication between the teachers and parents should be improved so that children are not forced to choose their  careers.
  • Parents should also have good communication with their children and also they can support them by showing their interest in the child’s participation in school functions, it actually cheers them up.
  • Teachers must always try to inspire their students by regularly asking them about their progresses and interests.
  • Primary age group children love to play, so we should try to excite them with well designed activity rooms.
  • Introducing digital learning will also help in making learning attractive for children. They must also be encouraged to participate in sports and quizzes.
  • Learning apps can also prove to be very enjoyable for children and things can be easy for them to grasp this way.

 

Mission Education is a national level programme of Smile Foundation, which is committed to providing basic education and healthcare to underprivileged children. To know more about our mission education programme please visit: https://www.smilefoundationindia.org/education.html

WhatsAppFacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailShare

Categories
Partners In Change

‘Empowering Grassroots’ towards Sustainability

‘Empowering Grassroots’ towards Sustainability

Since its inception, Smile Foundation has been keen on addressing the challenges of sustainability of the grassroots NGOs and equipping them with the skills to operate in a more structured and effective manner.

 

Grassroots NGOs and CBOs, despite their impact on ground, do not have enough leverage to push for their vision during the contract drafting and signing phase as they lack resources and competitive edge to attract the best talent.  In addition, most grassroots NGOs lack direction and strategy which causes them to deviate from their year plans. Propelled with a dream to minimize these challenges, Smile Foundation through its programme – ‘Empowering Grassroots’ has associated with Change the Game Academy to empower the grassroots NGOs and help them become self-sustainable.

 

Change the Game Academy, an initiative nurtured through the collaboration between Wilde Ganzen, The Netherlands and Smile Foundation aims at empowering Self Help Groups (SHGs), Community Based Organisations (CBOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) all over the world, with special focus in low and middle-income countries. Smile Foundation’s ‘Empowering Grassroots’ is a national capacity building programme that aims at handholding, training and enabling Community Based Organisations to maximize their impact. Under ‘Empowering Grassroots’ initiative, Community Based Organisations are trained on vital issues relevant to the development sector in the country like scalability, sustainability, communication, resource mobilisation and governance by industry experts from reputed Indian and International organisations.

 

The action implemented by the organisations after the workshop showcases how they performed in crowdfunding and local fundraising. One such case study is reviewed from Swami Vivekanand Shiksha Samiti(SVSS), an NGO based in Chopan Block, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh, India.

 

Due to lack of resources and extreme poverty, children in the villages of Sonbhadra work in the mining sector. The stark reality of these children is that in spite of back breaking hard work that they put in, they cannot have two square meals a day. They are condemned to a life of abject poverty which steals away their childhood. The children here don’t play any sports and most of the families don’t even allow their daughters to play outside.

SVSS, which closely works with children in 10 villages, organised a sports welfare programme for the children and youth to instill confidence and educate them about the rules and regulations of different sports like Badminton, Volley Ball, Kho-Kho and Kabadi. The primary intention behind this initiative was to build a strong foundation for children to develop their interest in sports so that they can eventually represent their villages at international platforms. The organisation also educated guardians and concerned institutions about the benefits of sports and its positive impact on children. SVSS plans to reach out to the journalists, Local Panchayat, MLAs and different school management who are interested in children welfare so that the ‘Right to Play’ initiative can be further developed.

 

The initiative undertaken by SVSS is just one example of how grassroots NGOs can motivate children to attend school. Apart from this, the curriculum can be adapted to make it more relevant for the children. Students should be inspired by people by sharing their success stories with them to impart practical knowledge that complements their academic curriculum. Proper arrangements for the remuneration provided to teachers needs to be made in order to incentivise them to attend school regularly. These are all just an essence of the productive activities that can help people develop a clear mindset about the positive effects of education and how it can be used as a vital tool to uplift communities.

 

To know more about our projects on Empowering Grassroots please log in to https://www.smilefoundationindia.org/empowering-grassroots.html

Or contact Mukesh at 8750980633

WhatsAppFacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailShare

 

Categories
Insights

CHALLENGES IN EDUCATION FACED BY A DEVELOPING NATION

CHALLENGES IN EDUCATION FACED BY A DEVELOPING NATION

Education, as we all know, is an important tool to the human resource development and empowerment in the stages of growth of a nation. Increased access to education can improve the overall health and longevity of the society, grow economies and even combat climatic changes. Yet in many developing countries, children’s access to education is limited by numerous factors.

Following are some of the problems which each and every developing country faces –

 

  • A lack of funding for education
  • Having no teacher, or having an untrained teacher
  • No classroom or proper infrastructure
  • A lack of learning materials and other tools
  • Living in a country in conflict or at risk of conflict
  • Poverty
  • Various discrimination and crimes against children
  • Distance from home to school
  • Hunger and poor nutrition
  • The expense of education
  • Being the ‘wrong’ gender
  • The exclusion of children with disabilities

 

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights makes clear that every child has the right to a free basic education, so that poverty and lack of money should not be a barrier to schooling. In many developing countries, over the last decades governments have announced the abolition of school fees and as a result, seen remarkable increase in the number of children going to school.

 

According to a UN report India has made significant progress in ensuring access to education through Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (Education for All) and the implementation of RTE (Right to Compulsory and Free Education ). There is near universal enrollment at the primary school level. But the challenge still remains because around one third of children drop out before even completing the full cycle of education.

 

There are many government, non-government and private organizations which are working towards this cause. But there are many challenges since India is a developing economy with the second largest population in the world which hinders the speed of development.

 

Smile Foundation is also one such NGO which has introduced various education programmes for underprivileged boys and girls throughout the country. It covers primary, secondary as well as senior secondary levels of schooling. To know more, visit www.smilefoundationindia.org/me

Education is both the means as well as the end to a better life. As quoted by Nelson Mandela –

‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’

WhatsAppFacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailShare

Categories
Insights

Factoring Process Indicators in Programme Evaluations: Rationale and the Way Forward

Addressing Nutritional Needs of Pregnant Women
Addressing Nutritional Needs of Pregnant Women

Healthy people are vital to economic and social development. The last decade has witnessed multidimensional changes in health and more so in reproductive health in India. Although India has made significant progress in improving the health of its population, fertility rates, HIV and infectious disease burden and child survival, it still mandates for continued investment to expand programmes, identify new models for intervention, and develop approaches to ensure sustainability. Policy and programme environment too has undergone a change.

India launched the National Family Planning Programme in 1951 with the demographic objective of a stable population at a level consistent with the requirements of national economy. Since then, the programme has undergone dramatic changes from family planning to family welfare services to a Target Free Approach which has been restructured as Community Needs Assessment Approach in Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A)- a client oriented and client driven programme under National Health Mission (NHM).

The catalyst for these remarkable changes in 1990s has been the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo in September 1994. The ICPD approach is strongly reflected in India’s population and RCH programme, which has made available improved services, involves women and lays direct emphasis on community planning.

Promotion of maternal and child health has been one of the most important objectives of the Family Welfare Programme in India. The Government of India took steps to strengthen maternal and child health services as early as the First and Second Five-Year Plans (1951–56 and 1956-61). As part of the Minimum Needs Programme initiated during the Fifth Five-Year Plan (1974–79), maternal health, child health, and nutrition services were integrated with family planning services. The primary aim at that time was to provide at least a minimum level of public health services to pregnant women, lactating mothers, and preschool children.

In 1992–93, the Child Survival and Safe Motherhood Programme continued the process of integration by bringing together several key child survival interventions with safe motherhood and family planning activities. In 1996, safe motherhood and child health services were incorporated into the Reproductive and Child Health Programme. This new programme seeks to integrate maternal health, child health, and fertility regulation interventions with reproductive health programmes for both women and men. With regard to maternal and reproductive health, the important elements of the programme include:

  • Provision of antenatal care, including at least three antenatal care visits, iron prophylaxis for pregnant and lactating mothers, two doses of tetanus toxoid vaccine, detection and treatment of anemia in mothers, and management and referral of high-risk pregnancies
  • Encouragement of institutional deliveries or home deliveries assisted by trained health personnel
  • Provision of postnatal care, including at least three postnatal visits
  • Identification and management of reproductive tract and sexually transmitted infections

Globally many countries pursue the result orientation toward any development initiative, be it Public Health, Education, Agriculture, Livelihood etc. As part of strengthening this result or outcome orientated initiative the countries develop monitoring and evaluation system focusing primarily on outcome or performance indicators.

In theory, the indicators are used as tools for assessing the efficiency, effectiveness, reliability and completeness of programme implementation. The programme or scheme assessment should actually establish a coordinated balance between all the critical indicators which encompass both process as well outcome indicators. 

Whereas in practice the assessment focuses largely on the outcome indicators, the outcome indicators measure the performance of the programme against certain standards which is eventually spread over a period of time. The process indicators focus on guidelines which are being followed, the availability and accessibility of the programme. They also focus on the potential risk involved and the attributes which finally influence the outcome indicators.

The monitoring and evaluation framework which have been developed under NHM have the indicators which are result oriented as in output or outcome oriented. For instance, the total number of Cheranjeevi Yojana and JSY beneficiaries in Gujarat, for the year 2010- 11 were 132470 and 292785, respectively were 23251 and 63478 beneficiaries less, respectively, from the preceding year 2009-10 (155721- Chiranjeevi Yojana and 356263 JSY) (Source- State MIS 2011), although the institutional delivery had been ever increasing. So, the concern is as to why was the number of beneficiaries dropping down while on the other hand as per NFHS 3 the IMR of Gujarat declined to 49.7 per 1000 live births and 50 per 1000 live births as per SRS 2009 and MMR to 160 per 1,00,000 live births as per SRS 2004-2006. Is it the quality of care being provided in the hospitals which is refraining the masses to go to hospitals? Also, our state MIS focuses primarily on the ultimate outcome indicators.

Till date, there has been no framework to measure any of the process indicators for, say, conducting the normal delivery for instance. The clinicians by and large conduct the delivery process (history taking, examination included) as per their respective experiences over the years. There is no specific framework to monitor the processes which are being followed while implementing any of these schemes. The challenges while developing monitoring framework for the process indicators are the indicators need to have a measurable numerator and denominator so that the indicators could be quantified and measured as the outcome indicators. Readiness (infrastructure supplies and trained human resources) of the health facilities at all level has shown significant improvement which is an important requisite for providing quality services. The process component which actually address to the quality of delivering services has also shown improvement but at a lot more initiative from district health management is required. It is primarily because it demands behavioral change, adherence to clinical standards and adoption of good practices. To accelerate the improvement in the processes, supportive supervision need to be strengthened and more attention should be given to review the process part.

To read about Smile Foundation’s health interventions, please visit

https://www.smilefoundationindia.org/smile_on_wheels.html

Categories
Insights

Gender Equality with Women Empowerment

Gender Equality with Women Empowerment

According to the World Bank:

Empowerment is the process of increasing the capacity of individuals or groups to make choices and to transform those choices into desired actions and outcomes.

 

Therefore, we can describe women empowerment as to give the authority or the power to women.  Women Empowerment is recognition of women’s basic human right and creating an environment where they are treated as equal to men in every aspect (economically, politically, socially and individually).

 

According to Jim Kim, The president of World Bank also believes that countries pay a big prize by failing to realize the potential of women. And ending gender equality will make so much sense in our society as well as economy. Currently women account for 38% or even less in some parts of the world versus 62% of men. If women earned as much as men they would add an additional $160 trillion in human capital worldwide if only we bridge the gap and empower them.

 

The crime and violence against women is on rise worldwide and it hampers the development tremendously. Many organizations and NGO’s are working worldwide towards this cause.

 

Smile Foundation, an NGO based in New Delhi with its presence in 25 other Indian state has taken few initiatives empowering young girls and women.

 

Mission Education is one such initiative in which the underprivileged children are provided with basic level education and healthcare. The 50% of the children benefitted are girls and it is a national level programme.

 

Healthcare is another initiative in which free medical services are provided mostly to the Urban slum dwellers, rural areas where proper healthcare facilities are not available and other underprivileged.  Smile on Wheels programme is another initiative in which mobile healthcare in urban slums and remote rural areas and it has provided health services to more than 10 lakh children and families.

 

According to statistics 66% of the total beneficiaries are women and girls.

 

Another initiative taken by smile to empower the underprivileged youth is Smile Twin E- learning Programme STeP. In this programme the underprivileged youth is trained in English, computer, soft skills and other required skills. Till now more than 22,000 youths are trained and more than 14,000 have been placed in more than 150 brands across different projects in India. In this programme also 52% of the beneficiaries were girls.

 

swabhiman i.e.  Self-respect in English in another initiative which identifies adolescent girls and women and develops them into Change Agents, who in turn actively contribute to the community mobilization process.

 

Till now Swabhiman has empowered and successfully made a difference to the lives of over 500,000 women and girl children.

 

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru said, “To awaken the people, it is the women who must be awakened. Once she is on the move, the family moves, the village moves, the nation moves”.

 

Therefore empowering women and rebuilding the society would take the nation on a path of greater development.

 

To know more about the projects in Smile Foundation for the empowerment of women please visit https://www.smilefoundationindia.org/swabhiman.html

Categories
In The Spotlight

My Experience Working With Smile Foundation

My Experience Working With Smile Foundation

I was born almost two decades ago.

In the cradle of human race,

In the birthplace of human speech,

To the mother of history,

To the grandmother of legend,

And to the great grandmother of tradition,

I was born in INDIA.

And now my roots are calling me for it is time that I serve my true purpose to this country, a country which has given me so much, serve those in dire straits, down and out.

And to start moving towards this altruism, I found Smile Foundation as my benediction. I worked for 5 days with the Smile on Wheels programme in Ludhiana, Punjab and to begin with. All I know now is that these particular 5 days of my life will be permanently etched in my memory.

Well, I went for the first day pretty casually, with an initial emotion as that of euphoria, and then it was only a matter of an hour, seeing the less fortunate around me, that the realisation of the onus of responsibility struck me that the ultimate Lord bestowed me with.

First, I would first like to take out a moment to thank all the members of the Smile on Wheels Ludhiana programme team. Because my journey would have remained incomplete without them. Sitaram Sir (Project Coordinator), donning the mantle of a leader, manager and a facilitator, his working style gave a new dimension to my life. Meenu Didi, with her ever smiling face, and countless stories to tell, she knows exactly what to do and does her work with perfection, always very caring and supportive. Gagandeep Didi (pharmacist), serene, friendly and always beaming with joy she has been the cynosure of all eyes. She always makes sure the patients never get the prescription wrong. Devit Bhaiya (Driver), always on time and with an amazing sense of humour, drives with an awakened conscience. And then, everybody’s favourite doctor, Dr G.P. Singh, chiselled with perfection, working with perfect values, serving everybody without any bias. Collectively, they are a team of committed soldiers who stand guard on the principles of Smile Foundation. Working with this basket of gems taught me influential lessons of life.

Now my five day journey is replete with memorable experiences. All the while I was conscious of my demeanour and conduct. But no later, I realised that my task wasn’t daunting or an onerous one. But rather was formidable. I have always been a person grown around with all the luxuries of life but now having a one-to -ne relationship with those on the skids, actually made me realise the importance of even a single penny in life. Every bit of advice, every tablet given is important to them, and we in our bed of roses, let go everything in fritter. I was shocked to meet a girl only a year younger to me, and a mother of two already, taking up all the responsibilities of her household. And I, on the other end, my parents and I myself still consider myself as a kid. And now every day I tell my mother, “Mummy, I have grown up now!” Also I see litres and litres of water being wasted in my home every day, but to them even a drop of water is a valuable pearl. I was sensitised towards so many heterogeneous issues of the ordinariness of life, different, yet all homogenous to destitute poverty, which until recently was only an abstract idea for me.

Another incident worth narrating is that of this little girl whom I asked to smile, for I was clicking her picture. She did not understand the meaning of “smile”. I tried using different synonyms of smile in her local language, but nothing worked. Her friends were like she never smiles. I tried a lot to teach her to smile but to no effect. It was then that I realised the importance of the name of “Smile” Foundation. SMILE something which comes naturally to us all, but to them it is a luxury, an exorbitance they cannot afford.

It is even difficult for me to express in words, all the sentiments that I went through within this short span of time. This odyssey of acquaintance with the needy has kindled an inextinguishable flame of mindfulness in me. A closer look at the actual realities of life, the sense of responsibility one must hold, self-dependency and most of all finding happiness in whatever difficult situation you are in. As I experience the travails of life in future, these values shall be instrumental in dispelling the darkness. I tried working with receptivity, perspicacity and perseverance and in the process of all this I realised that how we love playing mute spectators without any scruples of conscience. The feeling of incapacitation in our minds needs to be cleansed before the very essence of our nation recedes into oblivion. It is like taking the bull by its horns. This voluminous task of working for India and the alacrity with which it is to be accomplished needs a lot of creativity, innovation and out of the box thinking.

Well, I look at Smile Foundation in awe and thank for this wonderful opportunity to work with them. They have begun a renaissance. The die has been cast. This definitely augurs well for the country’s future. The journey from depravity to prosperity, bedlam to order, melancholy to melody and disgusting to sterling could be an arduous one, but well begun is half done and I already see glimmering rays of hope.

I wish Smile Foundation all the best so that their relentless efforts, commitment, and keenness help resuscitate India in a manner that we take pride in bequeathing a Bharat that is sans any clutter. Let’s all share this beautiful dream.

 

Smile,smile,smile! At the end of every quarter mile. Smirk,smirk,smirk! While you work. Laugh,laugh,laugh! Complete your part, don’t leave it half. Grin,grin,grin! Every struggle you will win. Be happy with us at every occasion, join us at Smile Foundation!

 

Know more about the programme here:  https://www.smilefoundationindia.org/smile_on_wheels.html

Or if you want to volunteer, you can write to volunteer@smilefoundationindia.org

Categories
Insights

Improvising Education System in Rural India

Improvising Education System in Rural India

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) shows that even though the number of students attending schools in rural areas of India is rising, more than half of the students in fifth grade are unable to read a second grade text book and are not able to solve even simple mathematical problems. It is time that we recognize not just literacy, but also quality education and applied knowledge as a basic need and fundamental right of every child.

 

A sizeable segment of our population continues to reside in the villages. However, access to quality education in rural India is still very limited. Efforts have been made to improve the scenario, but the progress has been slow and unevenly spread across the country. Remote, faraway and cut-off villages with little or no administrative interest are usually the last to avail of amenities – be it private or public.

 

Lack of well-trained teachers and a highly skewed student teacher ratio are major drawbacks that abate the advancement of the education system in rural India. Most rural areas have primary schools that provide free of cost education, but due to lack of committed teachers, we are not able to establish a firm foundation and love of learning in the younger children, because of which they lose interest in continuing further studies. The quality of education should be high right from the start which needs to be laid down at the primary level itself. This will become a factor which can turn India into a strong nation.

 

Another problem is the absence of middle and senior secondary level education institutions in the villages. The children often have to travel long distances amid difficult terrains – traverse hills, forests, and deserts to reach the nearest school, which serves as a deterrent for both the children and their parents. It is imperative to sensitize parents and help them understand the importance of education and how it can end the vicious cycle of poverty and be the beginning of a dignified and empowered future for their children and also for the whole family. Instead of looking at their children as extra hands at work in the farms or forests, they should be encouraged to send their children to school and get a proper education. Emphasis should be paid on the education on girls, and doing away with regressive customs such as child marriage.

 

The traditional teaching methods also need to be revised to enhance engagement and interest of the children in the classroom and beyond. Simple things like relating the textbooks to the children’s cultural values can pique the curiosity of the kids, making them attentive and responsive. The school curriculum should involve extracurricular activities and fun-learning exercises to improve the morale of the students. The reasons for drop outs and low attendance should be investigated in spite of free education. This becomes a major hurdle on the way to progress. Improvements should be made in the school infrastructure, and teachers should be given performance based incentives as motivation to bring out their best in the classrooms.

 

There is a difference between children in urban and rural areas, not in terms of potential, but their learning environment, skills, cognitive abilities, availability of infrastructure, and access to proper facilities. With proper administration and assessment, we can achieve positive results and ensure that education in rural India is at level with that in urban India, and becomes a model system that is emulated by the world.

 

To Know about our education program please log in to https://www.smilefoundationindia.org/education.html

Categories
Insights

Decentralizing health management for meeting local health needs

Decentralizing health management for meeting local health needs

With growing population and advancement in the medical technology and increasing expectation of people for quality health care, it has now become imperative to establish a system to render accessible and effective healthcare services.

 

Addressing this need, the National Health Mission (NHM), formerly known as National Rural Health Mission (NRHM-2005-2012) is a major undertaking by the Government to honor its commitments under the common minimal programme. NHM is a strategic framework to implement the National Health Policy 2002 with its key guidelines including equity, decentralization, involving Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and local bodies in owning primary health care management, and strengthening of primary health care institutions.

 

Upgradation of CHCs (Community Health Centres) to FRUs (First Referral Units) and establishment of 24X7 PHCs have been some major strategic interventions under NRM, to provide sustainable quality care with accountability and people’s participation, along with total transparency. However, there is a general apprehension that this may not be possible unless a system is evolved for ensuring a level of permanency and sustainability.

 

To resolve this, the decentralization of health management can play a pivotal role in ensuring a quick turnaround in the decision making for procurement of logistics, improving infrastructure etc. This requires strengthening of District Programme Management Unit (DPMU) – functioning under the guidance of District Health Society (DHS) led by Chief Medical Officer (CMO) with the support of District Health Manager (DPM). In principle, DPM is responsible for setting-up and operationalizing the DHS.

 

Although the DPMU has vertical and horizontal linkages with the health functionaries, there are some underlined challenges. To make a decentralized system functional, we need to have clear guidelines with details of roles and responsibilities along with the details of the compliances one has to adhere to. Since the programme management is ever evolving and dynamic, hence the guidelines need to reviewed and adapted as per the changing need of the programmes. The ambiguity in the guidelines and “static” or adopting ad-hoc processes to address the issues, hinder the decision making process. Hence, to keep the essence of the decentralization intact, it is important to have clarity in guidelines especially at the level of DPM, who manages the DPMU. This will result in crystallizing the goals of programmes at local level and the role of people involved in the overall programme.

 

The DPM should be authorized to make some critical estimations and decisions at DPMU level. For instance, to ensure that individuals have the ability to choose, obtain and use quality contraceptives/ family planning method, whenever they need them, requires addressing a number of factors. The DPM at district level must be equipped to estimate the supply and demand of different contraceptives and should also gauge the changes in the demand over time. In addition to estimating the demand, it is important to ensure the procurement of required equipments and consume them in the required time frame. Since the DPM is a person who brings on board the techno-managerial skills, hence the authority should be with him/ her make critical decisions in this regard.

 

Currently, the procurement and logistics system is built up in a manner, where the emphasis is on ensuring uninterrupted equipments, logistics, medicines, consumables such as condoms, OCPs, IUCD, supply at the facility level with the district warehouse as the hub. This procurement system allows huge cost savings and ensures very good quality and safety in the procurement process. The rate contracting done at the state level to gain economies of scale and ensure quality and safety of the required commodities can be done centrally. 

 

In addition to this, the Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS) can play an important role in raising the awareness of decision makers about the benefits of creating a system to procure the contraceptive commodities at the health facility level, without compromising on quality standards, so as to ensure that there is no stock-out, ever, of these. This decentralized system, if strengthened further, will also ensure the availability, repair and replacement of the essential equipments required to provide any family panning service.

 

In principle, decentralizing the procurement process of family planning health sector leads to a number of benefits. For one, local governments become more responsive to local priorities than central governments are. Because more authority rests at the local level, local decision makers are given freedom to identify family planning priorities based on local needs. Furthermore, the community members can also hold local decision makers more accountable to ensure that health issues are resolved. With priorities identified at the local level, funding/ resource allocation and the procurement process, even with to a limited extent should also be decentralized in a way that best responds to local priorities.

 

(Under its swabhiman programme, Smile Foundation works closely with communities, local authorities, health workers and institutions to ensure that women and their families are aware of and have access to primary healthcare services.

 

To know more, visit: https://www.smilefoundationindia.org/swabhiman.html)

Categories
Women Empowerment

A Tribute to All the Mother’s

A tribute to all the Mother’s

Mother is one person who means the whole universe in itself. Without a mother even the strongest person would be shattered. A mother nurtures her child, instill good manners and guide us in the journey called life. Mothers are omnipresent in our hard times and treat us dearer than anything else in this planet. Mother’s love is selfless and without her love life would be incomplete for everyone. Here are some stories of brave mothers who are special in their own way.

7-years-old Mukesh studies in Grade 2 at Mission Education centre – Lepakshi in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

‘I used to feed him water as dinner. I had no option. His father left us when he was just 1-year-old. Since I was unable to pay the rent, our landlord kicked us out. With such tiny baby in my arms, I had no place to go. We spent nights at the railway station and bus stand. I still remember that sometimes, the stray dogs would chase us away. We felt lucky on the days when people offered us food outside temples. It was painful when I could not protect him from scorching sun and stormy rains. He would often catch cold and fever, but I had no means to get him treated. He learned to heal on his own. I felt that the mother inside me failed to do justice to my child. It was then that one of the women visiting the temple offered me to work as a maid in her house. I felt life knocking at my door. I could do anything to keep my innocent child surviving. He’s all grown up today. Seeing him happy, I too have forgotten the pain. And yes, I have not failed as a Mother.’

– Sarala (Mukesh’s Mother)

A tribute to all the Mother’s We feel happy to provide doorstep healthcare to Tara Devi and her loved ones through Smile on Wheels in the slum clusters of Gurgaon.

‘My husband is an alcoholic. He beats me almost every day. And sometimes – in front of our son too. When he stopped working, we didn’t have food to eat for days. I had to beg for food from our neighbours, so that my child didn’t have to sleep empty stomach. The entire responsibility to earn a three-time meal fell on my shoulders. Working as a maid in others’ houses was the only option left. But I had to keep my child surviving. He is the only hope that keeps me alive. All my mental and physical pain will fade away once my child will succeed in life.’

– Tara

Seema was identified and trained on employability skills under Smile Foundation’s livelihood programme – STeP and placed as a teacher in Mumbai

‘Respect’ is the most important thing in a human’s life. My father did all kind of small jobs in his life to survive with his family. Sometimes he worked as a labour on construction sites, sometimes he worked on small shops as a helper, and sometimes he did loading and unloading of goods in factories. He was bound to respect everyone – those who were older than him and also those who were very younger than him. On the other hand people insulted him for being uneducated and poor. Despite the hard struggles, my father ensured that I and all my sisters get an education. He says society respects educated people, and I always wanted to earn that respect for him. Today, I work as a teacher and nothing brings more happiness to my heart when people talk to my father with admiration and honour.”

– Seema

Sneha has started schooling at Smile Foundation’s Mission Education centre – IPDP in Laggere, Bengaluru

“I don’t remember a single day when I wasn’t tortured mentally and physically by my husband. He used to spend all his earnings in his drinks. I never had even a single rupee in my hand. There were times when my daughter didn’t get anything to eat and I helplessly waited all night for my husband to return home with food. My daughter never cried in hunger – as if she has learned to live without adequate food. The day my husband fell sick, I spent all night on the hospital floor – crying besides him. No matter how worse situations were, I couldn’t leave him that way. I couldn’t give up on him.I did different works on daily wages – some days I broke stones, some days I carried 1000 bricks, and some days I cleaned factory floors – and earned money to pay for my husband’s medical bills. I never rested. I carried my daughter to all workplaces. Her smile gave me energy, gave me motivation and hope at every minute of my struggle. My husband is still recovering. When he thanks me for saving his life – I tell him, it’s our daughter’s smile that has kept both of us alive.”

– Mother of Sneha

Her daughter has been identified and enrolled at Smile Foundation’s Mission Education centre PWS in the Yamuna River Bank, Delhi

‘Only a labourer like me will understand how much hard work it takes to survive. If I do not put my sweat and blood in the work I do, my child will starve. I earn very little daily wages, so every single rupee is valuable. It doesn’t matter if our roof is broken, or we sleep on the cold mud-floor in winters. Nothing matters more than food for my child. When I feed my child I become the happiest person in this world. I feel no more pain when my daughter holds me and smiles. Who can be happier than me?’–

Sarita (a single mother living her life with her only daughter Priya)

Categories
Livelihood

Inspiring Stories on Youth Empowerment

Mamta was identified and trained on employability skills for six months under Smile Foundation’s livelihood programme – STeP. She has been placed in Haryana State Electricity Board.

The youth comprises over one-third of the Indian population which in turn constitutes a major part of the labour force of the country. The number of underprivileged youth in India who lacks education and proper guidance is so huge that according to the reports of the Financial Express only 15% of the young graduates passing out of colleges are employable; the rest are branded unemployable.

Smile Twin e-Learning Programme (STeP) is such an initiative of Smile Foundation that aims at creating a pool of young and independent people, from a section of underprivileged youth, through skill enhancement in tandem with market requirements. It is an effort towards bridging the gap between demand and supply of skilled manpower in the fast emerging services and retail sectors of modern India.

Here are some inspiring stories of young girls from across India who have been skilled, trained and empowered under the STeP programme to earn an independent and dignified livelihood:

Neha is one of the 20,000 youth who have been so far placed after completion of employability training under Smile Foundation’s livelihood programme STeP

“It is not easy for girls to have dreams. I was one of the only few girls in our slum who went to school. My parents were never able to buy new clothes for us. Every year I prayed to God to not grow since I had to wear the same cloth all the time. I knew my father’s income wasn’t enough to feed the six members of our family. My father struggled every day to ensure that I go to school. Because of lack of money I could not study beyond class 12. I stayed indoors to avoid talking to people. Neighbours and relatives started blaming my father for pinning their hopes on a daughter. He had suffered the same taunts when he had decided to send me to school, when the family was almost starving. When I got my first job, my father was the happiest man. He always says – If you have a heartbeat, there’s still time for your dreams.”

– Neha

 

Mamta was identified and trained on employability skills for six months under Smile Foundation’s livelihood programme – STeP. She has been placed in Haryana State Electricity Board.

“Orphaned in childhood, harassed by in-laws over dowry, beaten by husband, two miscarriages – life has shown me everything that can give shivers to any woman. After losing both my parents in childhood, emptiness killed me every day. I craved for a family, for belongingness. At the age of 21, my aunt got me engaged. There were fears, but somewhere I hoped to get a soul mate and new parents too. But destiny betrayed me again. My in-laws from whom I sought parental love started torturing me for dowry. What devastated me further was my husband’s attitude towards me. Despite taking marital vows of always supporting me, he started beating me mercilessly for demanding a car from my aunt. I got pregnant twice, but they never took me to doctor for routine check-ups. Due to poor health and mental trauma, both time, I suffered miscarriages – and the mother within me died one day.

Having lost hope and faith in life, I came back to my aunt’s house. Days passed but I could not move on. Being unproductive and sitting idle at home made me feel worthless and a burden on my aunt. Once I was a daughter, a wife and a mother… and suddenly one day, I became alone in a lost world where there was nothing but darkness. It was easy for me to remain in that darkness, but I decided to stop crying behind closed doors. I began fighting a battle nobody knew about – to earn food and dignity. My aunt says it’s my rebirth now and she wants me to celebrate it every day.

– Mamta (Name changed to protect identity)

 

Sana was trained on employability skills under Smile Foundation’s livelihood initiative STeP and placed in an IT firm in Mumbai

“Being a girl always represented a lot of ‘NO’s. I wanted to study, the answer was ‘no.’ I wanted to join singing classes, the answer was ‘no.’ I wanted to travel, the answer was ‘no.’ All my life, I felt like there was a barrier separating me from life. I grew up in a densely populated slum in Mumbai… in a one-room house where everything is limited – limited space, limited clothes and limited food. After lots of debates and fights at home, I got the chance to go to school. However, I could not study beyond class 10 because my father could no more afford my school fees. The only thing my family wanted for me was to get married. I lost almost four years of my life sitting at home and unable to do anything. Eventually I reached a moment where I knew that my only chance was to make a major change. I chose to stand against all ‘NO’s for the first time. I enrolled myself for an employability training and was fortunate to get a job upon completion. I am the first girl in my family to have got an employment. This has changed many things – people’s opinions about me, my family’s faith on me, and of course – me as a person. ‘NO’ is not always the answer.”

– Sana (Name changed)

 

Seema was identified and trained on employability skills under Smile Foundation’s livelihood programme – STeP and placed as a teacher in Mumbai

“Respect is the most important thing in a human’s life. My father did all kind of small jobs in his life to survive with his family. Sometimes he worked as a labour on construction sites, sometimes he worked on small shops as a helper, and sometimes he did loading and unloading of goods in factories. He was bound to respect everyone – those who were older than him and also those who were very younger than him. On the other hand people insulted him for being uneducated and poor. Despite the hard struggles, my father ensured that I and all my sisters get an education. He says society respects educated people, and I always wanted to earn that respect for him. Today, I work as a teacher and nothing brings more happiness to my heart when people talk to my father with admiration and honour.”

– Seema

 

To know more about our STeP Programme please visit us at https://www.smilefoundationindia.org/livelihood/

0%