Category: Press Releases

Two days National Consultation on Action for Sustainable Growth 2015

New Delhi : December 11, 2015: Smile Foundation, a national level development organization, had organized a two day workshop called EMPOWERING GRASSROOTS in New Delhi. Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee, Director General and CEO of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (under the aegis of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs), inaugurated the seminar and conducted the training program in the first session. Experts and trainers from organisations like KPMG; Ericsson also conducted and mentored other sessions.

Twenty Four grass root NGOs from nine states – i.e. Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh participated in the workshop. The focus of the workshop was to orient grassroots NGOs with various Fund Raising Skills and getting well-versed with CSR Act and bridge the gap between the prospect of Rs. 16,000 crore CSR budget in the India Inc. The workshop also assisted them in building capacities at various project management techniques thus leading to sustainable growth of their organization.

Through this effective two-days National Consultation, the NGOs received a firsthand training by the industry experts in areas such as – CSR Act – how to raise and manage CSR funds, Proposal writing, Project Management, Good governance etc. The goal of Empowering Grassroots is to build stronger, well-skilled NGOs that can carry out their duties well, by and large raise their own funds, increase self-reliance, strengthen position as representatives of the target groups, and improve effectiveness in approaching local bodies., enable small, genuine NGOs to bring excellence in their efforts.

Speaking on the role and governance of NGO’s in India in getting benefited from the CSR ACT, Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee, Director General and CEO of the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, emphasised that “it demands a high degree professionalism of NGOs if not corporatisation to access the available CSR Fund. Out of 3.3 million NGO’s in India, two-third of them may not be able to attract the funding unless they are developed, equipped and elevate themselves. Organisations such as Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs and Smile Foundation have a greater role to play in equipping these grassroots NGOs at a larger scale.” However, speakers from KPMG emphasized on the good governance process that NGOs should have in place. So topics like FCRA, Taxation and auditing were discussed followed by a Q & A.

Speaking on this occasion, – Mr. Santanu Mishra, Co- Founder & Executive Trustee, Smile Foundation said, “As an organization Smile Foundation has always aimed to identify, handhold and build capacities of genuine grassroots NGOs to achieve accountability, sustainability, scalability and leadership. Empowering grassroots is an extension of this effort in order to maximize reach and optimize returns by approaching and strengthening a large number of like-minded individuals and organizations globally.”

Empowering Grassroots is a national level programme of Smile Foundation focused on enabling genuine grassroots NGOs across India to bring excellence, good governance and sustainable growth. The idea behind the initiative is that if underprivileged communities are to be truly empowered, the important role grassroots community groups play in building and maintaining stronger communities, needs to be strengthened. Smile Foundation has so far built capacities of 500 grassroots NGOs under Empowering Grassroots programme in last two years. During the year, 500 more grassroots NGOs are projected to be covered under the programme. The aim is to bring 5000 similar NGOs under the programme across India.

About Smile Foundation:

Smile Foundation is a national level development organization benefitting over 300,000 underprivileged children, their families and the community directly through 158 welfare projects on subjects such as education, healthcare, livelihood, and women empowerment across 25 states of India. Adopting a life cycle approach of development, Smile Foundation focuses its interventions on children, their families and the community.

Chennai : As the rain battered Chennai and everything in the city was reeling under water, the only thing refused to die down was the Spirit of Chennai. Chennai stood tall and faced the calamities fearlessly, hand in hand. Youths of Chennai came out in numbers to volunteer the work started by many NGO’s.

Smile Foundation had started relief work as the rain got heavier and flood hit Chennai. From day one Smile Foundation reached out the flood stricken areas with dry foods, Mineral water, survival kits and medical facilities. It was a mammoth task to accomplish alone. We got people who offered their selfless service and helped us in reaching out.

We got almost 500 such volunteers who fearlessly set out, risking their own lives and safety, to help their fellow citizens. Several of them are first-time volunteers and also those who have been rescued from the floods themselves. These volunteers engaged themselves in-field work, helping us to setting up 12 distribution hubs with each distribution point catering to 6-8 sub locations. With their strong support we could reach close to 2 lakh people with packaged food, mineral water as of yesterday and still continuing supplying aid.

The volunteers worked with us day in & day out in extreme weather conditions, half submerged in water , exposed standing in stagnating water with sometimes cuts and bruises. There was no electric supply with feeble network coverage that hampered the co-ordination between rescuing teams and made it worse. Rain, flood, stagnant water & the high risks of adopting water borne diseases thereafter, nothing could stop them to continue the selfless service. Smile Foundation salutes those unsung heroes who braved everything and stood with us in the time of devastation.

New Delhi :Smile Foundation, a development organisation working for the welfare of underprivileged children and their families, has initiated the 2nd phase of its Mission Education campaign. Last year, the campaign successfully raised support for continuing the education of 19,000 less privileged children across India. This year, the target has been raised to cover a total of 20,500 children.

Mission Education is Smile Foundation’s flagship programme that has provided education to 200,000 children so far. The campaign is in support of the 20,500 children currently enrolled under the programme. These children are mostly either homeless, orphaned, abandoned, runaways, or belong to extremely poor families. Many of them have lost precious years of their childhood, working as child labour.

At Mission Education centres, they are not only provided education, but also nurtured in a loving and caring environment, conducive for their holistic growth. Qualitative aspects like access to libraries and computer education, training of the teachers to make the learning process effective, exposure visits to educational and recreational spaces, and participation in co-curricular activities are given equal emphasis as the education, nutrition, and healthcare of the children.

Leaving their circumstances behind, these 20,500 children have taken the first step towards empowerment. But education is a continuous process. Statistics suggest that while the Right to Education Act has made primary education compulsory and free, more than 40% of children drop-out after the first few years of schooling. This is highly relevant in the case of low-income group families.

Continuous and quality education is necessary to ensure that the children actually become aware, informed and able. This need is at the core of the Mission Education campaign. Putting children into school is not enough; they must get sustained support to continue their education. Otherwise, there is a high probability that these children will drop out and go back to their old lives.

Mr. Vikram Singh Verma, Chief Operating Officer, Smile Foundation, says, “Smile Foundation believes that education is both, the means as well as the end, to a better life – it not only empowers an individual to earn his/her livelihood, but also increases one’s awareness on a range of issues – from healthcare to appropriate social behaviour to understanding one’s rights, in the process helping one evolve as a better citizen. Through Mission Education, we try to bring more and more disadvantaged children under the umbrella of education every year, so that they can get out of the vicious cycle of poverty, ignorance and suffering, and hope for a better life.”

The Mission Education campaign aims to reach out to the civil society – youth, individuals, institutions, corporate and media, to come forward and join Mission Education, making the education of these 20,500 children their own mission. We can all come together and contribute to Mission Education in whatever way we can – by making a donation, by spreading the word, by volunteering, or through corporate associations. Smile Foundation believes that every action counts!

New Delhi :Determined to carry forward his legacy to the world and pay a real tribute to Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, Smile Foundation has decided to make a film on his life. The film will ignite the minds of all world citizens especially the youth and children who the former president so earnestly inspired.

Indeed, such was the persona of Dr. Kalam. After India found its Missile Man in his scientific genius, the poet, writer, and Bharta Ratna awardee, went on to head the nation as the 11th President of India.

The mission he chose – to make a happier, educated future for all the children of the world – speaks volumes about his greatness – touching the lives and igniting the minds, particularly children and youth. He always motivated them to adopt positive values and positive thinking.

“Dr. Kalam was the inspiration behind our first film ‘I am Kalam’ which was a work of fiction. His thoughts, way of living, philosophy and teachings are so powerful that they are meaningful to people across the world. We felt that we should take this story to the international audience. In India you don’t need to tell his story, but we need to tell it to the world so that people know that he was loved not just because he was a President but because he was an inspiring human being”, Smile Foundation’s Executive Trustee Santanu Mishra said.

“We would like to trace his life from childhood to his very last moment of delivering a lecture to the students of IIM Shillong. There is a lot of information that has been published through his interviews, newspaper articles and lectures but we need to fill in the gaps. Our research work will begin very soon,” Mr. Mishra said reminiscing about the film ‘I Am Kalam’ for which the former president was the sole inspiration.

The former president’s teachings must be taken to the global platform, as their relevance defies the boundaries of time and space. This is the main idea behind the biopic – to keep the thoughts of this visionary alive forever, and to reach out to children and youth across the world with his message, paving the way for many more Kalams.

New Delhi : Under Smile Foundation’s Smile Twin e-Learning Programme (STeP), 13 new centres in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Gurgaon have started functioning with effect from 1st of April 2015. Out of the 13 STeP centres, 10 centres are being supported by Ericsson and three by FIS. Smile Foundation is now operating a total of 45 STeP centres across India.

Smile Twin e-Learning Programme, launched in 2007, provides access to education to underprivileged youth through training in basic computer, telecom and retail sales management skills – along with proficiency in spoken and written English. The curriculum also includes sessions on personal development, career counselling and placement support.

More than 1500 urban underprivileged youth will be directly benefitted through these 13 new STeP centres alone.

Under this Smile Foundation-Ericsson partnership, 20 more STeP centres in Gurgaon, Noida, Bengaluru, Chennai and Kolkata are being set up and will function soon. Further, in collaboration with FIS, five more STeP centres will begin its operations in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Chandigarh.

Speaking about the launch of new centres, Mr. Vikram Singh Verma, COO, Smile Foundation says, “Knowledge of market-oriented job skills such as English, basic computer, personality development, retail management, relevant soft skills etc. is essential in seeking a job. For the underprivileged youth in our country, there is an urgent need of employability training that demands addressing. We would like to thank Ericsson and FIS for helping us extending our reach further.”

Smile Twin e-Learning Programme (STeP) is a national level livelihood programme of Smile Foundation that trains urban underprivileged youth with market-oriented job skills such as English, basic computer, personality development, retail management, relevant soft skills etc and makes them employed in retail and service sectors across India. So far, more than 16,000 youth have been trained and 11,500 have been placed in over 140 brands across India. Most of the youth, both girls and boys, have become the first generation blue-collar workers in their families.

Mumbai :Smile Foundation has received the 1st ICAI CSR Award, for the ‘Best CSR Project in Women Empowerment.’

The award has been instituted and conferred by the Committee for Cooperative and NPOS Sector and IND (AS) Implementation Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).

Mr. Vikram Singh Verma, Chief Operating Officer, Smile Foundation received the award in Mumbai. The Chief Guest Mr. Anant Geete, Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises of India graced the awards ceremony along with Chairman of the Committee for Co-operatives and NPO Sectors, ICAI; President, ICAI; V-P, ICAI; Chairman, WIRC; Chairman, CMII Committee of WIRC, among other dignitaries.

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is the national professional accounting body of India. It was established in 1949 under the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949 to regulate the profession of Chartered Accountancy in India. ICAI is the second largest professional accounting body in the world in terms of membership. ICAI is the only licensing cum regulating body of the financial audit and accountancy profession in India.

“An encouragement in the form of this award from a revered institution like ICAI has renewed our commitment to work harder in the areas of child development with special focus on the girl child. This recognition will also act as a morale booster for our community workers, project managers, supporters, partners and our very own girl children alike,” said Mr. Vikram Singh Verma, Chief Operating Officer, Smile Foundation.

Girl child has been on the centre-stage of Smile Foundation’s national level programmes. Swabhiman, meaning self-respect in English, is an especially designed programme focusing on girl children and women empowerment. The USP of Swabhiman is its innovative and highly effective approach named 4 S Model which means Seeking Healthcare as a Behaviour, Support through Education, Support from Men through Male Involvement, and Sustaining Change in the Community. As many as 150,000 girls and women have benefited from Smile Foundation’s Swabhiman programme in the last 10 years.

New Delhi :Baxter International Foundation (the philanthropic arm of Baxter International Inc.) and Smile Foundation have partnered for a women and girl child empowerment project under the latter’s Swabhiman programme in six slum areas across Delhi, India.

Baxter International Foundation is extending a support of US$100,448 towards this two-year Swabhiman project, primarily focused on healthcare of women, girl children and adolescents. The project will cover the migrant community living in the slum areas of East and South Delhi. Managed by Smile Foundation, the initiative aims to create awareness and increase accessibility to healthcare services for 150,000 women, children and adolescents.

Under the project, four health camps per month will be organized across the six identified slum areas. Besides these health camps, curative services, community engagement and awareness activities will be organized.

The six areas covered in the project are New Ashok Nagar, Shashi Garden and Bismil Camp in East Delhi, and Chattarpur Nut Colony, Chattarpur Pahari and Ambedkar Colony in South Delhi.

About Baxter International Foundation:

Baxter International Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Baxter International Inc. The Foundation’s fundamental purpose is to make a positive and lasting impact on healthcare and the health of communities globally.

The mission of Baxter International Foundation is to increase access to healthcare for the disadvantaged and underserved in the United States and around the world.

For more information on Baxter International Foundation, please visit:- http://www.baxter.com/about_baxter/sustainability/international_foundation/index.html

About Swabhiman Programme:

Swabhiman, meaning ‘self-respect’ in English, is an endeavor of Smile Foundation designed to bring pride and dignity to marginalized and socially excluded women and girls, and enable them to realize their self-esteem and optimum potential in every sphere of life through innovative community engagement strategies.

This women empowerment programme works through a highly effective approach named ‘4 S Model’, which stands for Seeking Healthcare as a Behaviour, Support through Education, Support from Men through Male Involvement, and Sustaining Change in the Community.

For more information on Swabhiman Programme, please visit:-http://www.smilefoundationindia.org/swabhiman.html

An initiative by Smile Foundation to raise support for education of the girl child

Mumbai :Smile Foundation, a national level development organization, showcased the 7th edition of its fundraiser ‘Ramp for Champs’ today at Hotel Renaissance, Powai. With a special focus on education for the girl children, funds raised from Ramp for Champs will be utilized through Smile Foundation’s national level programme – Mission Education.

India’s only national level charity fashion event, the Ramp for Champs Mumbai edition had a robust line-up of 50 participating achievers and personalities from all walks of life. A number of responsible corporate had also joined the event to celebrate the very best of fashion and creative talent along with supporting a noble cause.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Neeraj Agarwal, Executive Director, Corporate Communication, LIC India said, “How we care for our children, protect their welfare and give them at least a fighting chance for a brighter, fulfilling future reflects our attitude to society. This event is a bridge to their aspirations and our willingness to support their cause. We appreciate Smile Foundation’s service in bringing dignity, in a holistic way, in the lives of innocent children and communities.”

The event started with a very special performance by singers Abhiruchi Singh who has dedicated a song “Udd Chali” to Smile Foundation’s girl child empowerment initiative. Ace singer Divya Kumar and choreographer-actor Ganesh Acharya also performed during the event, captivating the crowd with their mesmerising performances.

Star designers Archana Kochhar and Preety’s Designer Hut extended their support to the cause by showcasing their special collections, not with models but with their muses, including celebrities and their high profile clients.

Ace-Couturier Archana Kochhar who is also the Goodwill Ambassador for Girl Child Education with Smile Foundation has great fellowship for fashion and is feasting her clients through three operational prêt stores in Mumbai. Her muses for the show had eminent personalities from all fields like acting, singing, chefs, working women to homemakers. Her power list consisted of Huma Qureshi, Krishika Lulla, Urvashi Sharma (who walked with her two beautiful daughters Parinishta and Samaira), Dimple Nahar, Shobha Lakhani, Ragini Khanna, Manara Handa, Rashmi Desai, Nazneen Patel, Surbhi Jyoti, Aishwarya Sakhuja, Nataliya Konzenhva,Teejay Sidhu, Tia Bajpai, Ekta Kaul, Harshali Zine, Poornima, Bhoomi Trivedi, Rajneesh Duggal, Chef Vikas Khanna, Mukesh Chabbra, Karan Tacker, Karan Veer Vohra, Ameet Sareen, Divya Kumar, Gaurav Sethi and Sahil Anand.

Preety’s Designhut started as a humble small scale business venture, but has gradually evolved into an emerging empire of traditional attire. Preety’s collections are inspired from the Mother Earth “Bhoomi” – a perfect blend of heart and soul. Her muses for this event were Tapsee Pannu, VJ Andy, Bhumi Chawda, Anjali Ahuja, Tina Chopra, Charmi Shah, Chahat Khanna, Chanchal Jain, Kavita Paudwal, Rinku Dudani, Shibani Kashyap, Jharna Savla, Bobby Khan with wife, Tina Dutta, Simple Kaur, Shraddha, Evelyn Sharma and Mahaakshay Chakraborty.

This Ramp for Champs was presented by LIC of India, with Copper Stone as the Co- Partner. Other valuable partners were Nerolac, Colors, Big Brother Foundation, The Renaissance Hotel, Truefitt & Hills, Proton Communications, Chandrakala Sanap, Gaurav Sethi Photographer, Stardust Magazine and Moryaas Multimedia Pvt. Ltd.

About Ramp for Champs

Ramp for Champs (RFC) is a charity fashion show from Smile Foundation that has emerged as India’s largest cause-related fashion event over the years. Ramp for Champs brings together fashion designers, eminent public figures and corporate to raise supports for the cause of child education. The Ramp for Champs in Mumbai was the seventh edition, with the first one launched in Bengaluru in 2011.

Lauds Smile Foundation’s Child for Child programme

Chennai : Felicitating school principals for being the positive change agents in society, Tamil Nadu Governor Dr K Rosaiah lauded Smile Foundation’s Child for Child programme that aims at bridging the gap between privileged and underprivileged children.

“I am very happy to be present here on this occasion among so many heads of institutions who are being felicitated by Smile Foundation for being socially responsible. Their sensitization programme Child for Child (CFC) in privileged schools is the need of the day. These children are our future. If they are properly educated and taught to be socially responsible, it will bring about a change in their thinking and attitude”, Dr Rosaiah said addressing the school principals gathered from across the state.

“The fact that all of you have come here in support of Smile Foundation and educating underprivileged children speaks volumes about the responsible citizens that all of you are. With your continued support I am sure Smile Foundation will be able to reach out to many more children”, the Governor added.

Speaking on the occasion, Smile Foundation’s Chief Operating Officer Vikram Singh Verma said, “It is crucial to inculcate in children the feelings of empathy and conscience towards those who are less fortunate, so that they grow up as responsible individuals. Under Child for Child programme, Smile Foundation visits various schools and conducts engaging sessions for young minds. It sensitizes children towards various causes and lets them realize their own privileged status. This helps them develop into not only responsible individuals but also as significant change makers who contribute positively to society.”

“Currently, CFC reaches out to nearly one million privileged children in 900 schools spread across 417 districts of the country. Parents and teachers are also involved in the process. Specifically in Tamil Nadu, we have reached out to around 500 schools and covered approx. 40,000 children. School Principals are instrumental in assisting us in the programme by allowing us to conduct it in their schools through sensitization sessions and thereby bridge the gap between privileged and underprivileged children,” Mr Verma noted.