Forty
youth begin gainful employment
A
STeP student being awarded the course completion certificate |
|
C
ertification Day was organized at the Smile Twin e-Learning Programme
(STeP) centre at OVHA, Balakati village in Khurda district, Orissa.
Each of the 40 youth, having seen difficulties in life quite early,
joined the programme with high hopes for their families and their
own future. None of them disappointed their teachers and families.
They have joined various companies in finance, service and retail
sectors in and around Bhubaneswar after completing the six month
market-oriented employability training.
Sashmita Das, daughter of a small-time farmer, travelled five kilometres
every day from her village to the centre. After landing up her job,
she is now hopeful of supporting her three sisters and two brothers
secure a brighter future.
So far 14,500 youth like Sashmita have been trained in 35 STeP
centres across India. |

Photography
workshop for Smile kids
Trainer
from IIP giving photography tips to Smile kids |
|
S
mile Foundation children learn the tricks and techniques of photography
in Mission Education’s Nai Disha centre in Noida.
Faculty from Indian Institute of Photography trained the children
who wished to take up photography and film making as their career.
When education is not limited to books and goes beyond four walls
of classroom it leads to holistic development. All round development
not only empowers them but also helps them pursue their dreams.
Among other skills, the workshop helped the children inculcate
a creative perspective, and photography in specific, and inspired
them to apply the knowledge in their day-to-day lives. |

Smile
kids in West Bengal bring Sukumar Ray to life
M ission Education programme,
IPER, Institute of Psychological and Educational Research, centre
in West Bengal, celebrated its 42nd anniversary on July 15. Underprivileged
kids were at the centre of the colourful celebrations which saluted
their spirit and resilience.
‘Gondho Bichar’ of the celebrated Bengali children’s
writer Sukumar Ray, was selected by the children to enact a one
hour drama ‘Ajab Desher Safar’- ‘A tour around
the Wonderland’. More than 40 children participated in the
play, to prepare for which they had attended theatre and personality
development workshops.
Around 200 children from eight NGOs witnessed the sparkling kaleidoscope
of acting, singing, painting and dancing.
|
|
Students
perform welcome dance
|
The audience at Gyan Manch, including personalities
like Alokananda Roy, prominent social worker and dancer and Roshni Sen,
Secretary Social Welfare, were left spell bound after the performance and
gave the children a standing ovation. 
Mid-Term
Assessment introduced in STeP centres
STeP
students take mid-term assessment |
|
A
Agoal-oriented method of assessing the learning of students, mid-term
assessments, has been introduced under the STeP programme to make
the training sessions more effective and enhance the overall learning
experience of the youth.
Mid-term assessment was first introduced only in HPCL supported
centres – Prayog International Foundation for Social Action
Research, Don Bosco Society and Family Planning Association of India.
The system yielded positive results and has now been implemented
in all the STeP centres across India.
The assessment tests are conducted by the subject trainers and
evaluate the learning level of the students in each subject. |
Conducted twice a year, the tests are generally objective
in nature. Mid-term assessment develops a disciplined approach towards
studies in the students and helps them identify their weak areas. More
than 140 students have taken the mid-term assessment in the ongoing term.

Second
STeP centre in Karnataka
Anew Smile Twin e-Learning
Programme (STeP) centre has been launched at Virgonagar, Medahalli
in Bengaluru. Supported by BOSCH India Foundation, the philanthropic
arm of BOSCH India, this centre became operational on April 22.
Vidyaranya is the implementing partner for the centre.
This is the second STeP centre in Karnataka and the 35th project
in India.
The inauguration function took off with the lighting of lamp
by Ms. Pankaja, Deputy Director, Department of Women and Child
Development, Government of Karnataka, followed by the launch of
the centre by Dr. Jessy Fenn, Project Manager, BOSCH India Foundation.
Ms. Pankaja applauded Smile Foundation, Bosch India and Vidyaranya
for helping the marginalised youth in gaining employment and thus
putting them on the path of sustainable empowerment.
|
|

Inauguration
ceremony of the STeP centre in Karnataka |
The course curriculum for STeP
has been developed by the International Management Institute, New Delhi
and the computer course has been certified by Microsoft.

No
act of giving is small
Volunteers
and staff from Sparsh collect newspapers |
|
Volunteers,
teachers and mentors at Mission Education Programme’s Sparsh
Centre went for a newspaper collection drive around King’s
Circle, Mumbai. The idea was to engage the privileged people in
the neighbourhood in the process of development and to create awareness
about the cause of child education.
The initiative turned out to be an encouragement towards raising
whatever resources possible locally to support critical teaching
and learning expenditure. People supported the idea wholeheartedly.
Smile Foundation tries to sensitize the civil society regularly
and involves them in the process of development locally. The larger
aim is to make them equal partners in grassroots projects in order
to achieve accountability as well as to sustain the initiatives
in the long run. |

Smile
Foundation now Advisory member of NSS cell at SU
Meeting
of the NSS Advisory Conmittee in progress |
|
Sambalpur
University has nominated Smile Foundation to its University level
Advisory Committee of the National Service Scheme (NSS). Vice Chancellor
Prof. Bishnu Charan Barik is the committee’s chairman, with
Revenue Commissioner, Northern Division (Odisha) and Registrar Prof.
Somnath Bag among its core members. The university’s jurisdiction
covers 10 districts of Odisha.
Youth is a powerful force of change in a country like India, with
more than half of its population below the age of 25. It has the
potential, the drive and the energy to bring change; what it needs
is direction and motivation. The NSS has taken charge of tapping
this potential in college students, where they are sensitized to
the needs of society and engaged in community activities. |
Smile Foundation’s nomination
is based on its decade-long grassroots level development work in the region.
Smile Foundation will give its inputs, help design the programmes and share
its experience throughout the year on how to engage the youth meaningfully
under the NSS programme. 
Nutrition programme in Karnataka
Children at Mahesh Foundation are all smiles to get nutrition support |
|
Anutrition
support programme was initiated under Mission Education programme
at Mahesh Foundation’s ‘Home for the Homeless’
centre in Belgaum, Karnataka in July. The children are also receiving
education under the project.
The nutrition support initiative is benefiting 350 children enrolled
at the centre. Growth and healthcare of each child is monitored
regularly, besides having three nutritious meals a day.
After the success of the initiative for the children, the nutrition
support is now extended to poor patients at an adjacent hospital
serving people living with HIV/AIDS.
|

Celebration of Rabindra-Najrul Jayanti
Students dressed up in bright hues for the celebration |
|
Rabindra-Najrul
Jayanti, commemorating the birth anniversaries of eminent Bengali
cultural and literary icons and socio-political reformers, Rabindranath
Tagore and Kazi Najrul Islam, was celebrated across the education
centres of Sabuj Sangha under Mission Education programme in West
Bengal.
Cultural programmes were held at Kalikapur, Bethberia, Baruipur
and Dakshin with children participating in activities like songs,
recitations, dances and plays — all based on compositions
of Rabindranath Tagore and Kazi Najrul Islam.
The programme was facilitated by the Child Core Group members of
different areas. Parents and other people from the community appreciated
the efforts of the students and also participated actively in the
festivities themselves.
|

School Health Programme in Patan
Students watch a documentary on health, at a school in Patan |
|
School
Health Awareness Programme was organized in Runi, Indramala, Rugnathpura
and Khakhal villages in the Patan district of Gujarat in April and
June.
The programme, which reached out to more than 600 children, was
intended to promote a health seeking behaviour among the village
children. Realizing that children will be the fore bearers of change
in the coming years, school health programmes have been incorporated
as an integral aspect of Smile on Wheels.
A forty-five minute video on maintaining personal hygiene and cleanliness
was shown. To assess the students’ understanding about the
topics highlighted during the show, essay writing and drawing competitions
were conducted, followed by the winners being awarded with prizes.
|
The awareness programme was brought to an end
by an interactive session during which the Smile on Wheels doctor discussed
vital health issues like immunization, routine hygienic activities, common
diseases and sanitation with the children.

Smile on Wheels covers schools in Delhi
Smile on Wheels project
operational in North and East Delhi has expanded its reach to
cover school children through Chacha Nehru Sehat Yojana (CNSY),
a Govt. of Delhi programme.
St. Stephen’s Hospital is the implementing partner of the
SoW which takes healthcare services to the doorsteps of the underserved
population in North and North-East Delhi.
Eight schools from the North East district of Delhi have been
added to the service coverage of Smile on Wheels after this association.
IEC sessions, clinical services, health check-ups, investigations,
child to child health skills training, counseling and health talks
are being introduced during the school health programme. More
than 5000 students have benefitted under the project so far.
|
|
School students engaged in activity during the SoW visit |
St. Stephen’s Hospital, established in
1885, is the oldest hospital in Delhi.

Special Gynaecology Camp
Gynecologist checks a pregnant woman during the visit |
|
Aspecial
gynaecology camp was organized in Runi and Indramana villages in
Patan district, Gujarat.
Smile on Wheels is operational in the area. It was observed that
visits of pregnant women from two of the villages were negligible.
It was a matter of concern as one of the goals of Smile on Wheels
is to provide ante natal and post natal services.
The project team conducted a survey in these villages and also
collected data from local government nursing staff and Anganwadi
workers, to analyze the situation and found out that there were
30 pregnant women in Runi and 40 in Indramana village. However,
they were reluctant to avail the health services at the mobile hospital
as they were not comfortable discussing about their health issues
with outsiders. An exclusive oneon- one session with a gynaecologist
was conducted.
|

Village Health Camp in Guna
Disbursement of medicines at the health camp |
|
A
special health camp was organized on June 21, 2013 for Padarkhedi
and ladpura villages in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh.
Dr. Sadhana Verma, Block Medical Officer, Mr. Rituraj Bhargava,
Malaria Inspector and Mr. Anil Shukla, ICDS worker participated
in the camp.
The camp was facilitated by two general physicians. The most common
ailments noticed were viral fever, eye flu, common cold, malaria
and malnourishment in children.
A total of 212 beneficiaries were reached through the health camp,
out of which more than half were children. As many as 116 women
turned up to avail of the health services too.
|

Employee Engagement Programme in Hyderabad
An employee engagement
session was conducted on May 28 at Arunodaya Trust, STeP centre
in Hyderabad. Ms. Chitra Devaraj, a Recruitment specialist from
Google, visited the centre and had an interactive session with
the beneficiaries regarding the training programme and its benefits.
The main objective of the visit was to inculcate life skill qualities
like readiness, decision making, and general awareness in the
STeP students apart from their regular curriculum. During the
interaction, Ms. Chitra stressed on the importance of computer
and English in today’s world. She also briefed the students
on how soft skills help one grow personally as well as professionally.
The discussion was followed by a mock session where all the students
participated enthusiastically. An important point raised during
the session was that one need not restrict oneself at any position
and can climb up the professional ladder through hard work and
constant learning.
|
|
Ms. Chitra counsels the students on career choices
|

Swabhiman comes to Karnataka
Swabhiman, Smile Foundation’s
national programme on girl child and women empowerment, has come
to Karnataka. Swabhiman, meaning self respect in English, was
formally introduced in Hegganahalli and Ramanna Badavane settlements
in Bangalore in July.
The focus of the project in Bangalore is on the reproductive
and sexual health of adolescent girls and young women. It aims
to benefit more than 10,000 women. Swabhiman works on the ‘4-S
Model’, which is an acronym for four novel approaches –
Seeking Healthcare as a Behaviour, Support for Education, Supporters
in Men through Male Involvement, and Sustaining the Change in
Communities.
Swabhiman in Bangalore is being supported by Shankara Infrastructure
Materials Limited. DANI Development and Social Action is partnering
in implementing the project.
|
|
Swabhiman is formally welcomed in the community
|

Workshop on Nutrition for women and adolescent girls
The resource person highlights the benefits of a healthy diet |
|
A
three-day workshop was conducted on ‘Healthy Eating
and Nutrition’ for young girls and women in three Swabhiman
communities spreadacross south and east Delhi. The workshop, held
from June 27-29, was intended to make the beneficiaries aware about
the right eating habits during different stages of a woman’s
life.
Discussion were held on several issues vital to a woman’s
health like diabetes mellitus, hypertension during pregnancy, teen
pregnancy, benefits of vegetarian diets, and importance of nutrition
for adolescent girls, healthy diet for a lactating mother and proper
iron and calcium intake.
The beneficiaries came up with enthusiastic questions, followed
by group presentations during which they confidently explained the
issues discussed during the workshop.
|
The workshop was an initiative to promote a health
seeking behaviour in underprivileged women and their families, and the
larger community. Three resource persons trained 120 ‘change makers’
who in turn will enable community women on the subjects. |
Swasthya Chetna Yatra in Bihar
Smile Foundation took active
participation in the statelevel Swasthya Chetna Yatra (Health
Awareness March) in Bihar. The initiative was supported by State
Health Society Bihar.
The objective of the programme was to provide health facilities
in the most backward areas in remote districts where people do
not have access to healthcare services due to nonavailability
of adequate government health infrastructure.
Health camps were conducted across the state, as a part of the
initiative. During one such camp, organized at Anganwadi Kendra,
Balam Gadhiya Panchayat, in Madhepura, Smile Foundation aligned
its Smile on Wheels mobile hospital with the project by facilitating
specialized lab tests.
The camp was inaugurated by the Panchayat head Mr. Chandan Kumar
Yadav and In-charge of Murho PHC Dr. Sachidanand Ghan.
|
|
A child gets vaccinated during the Swasthya Chetna Yatra |

Child Protection Centre for slum kids in Assam
Rescued children become each others’ strength at their
new home |
|
U
TSAH centre, under Mission Education programme, works with
children living in the slum area of Hafiznagar No.2 in Guwahati,
Assam. It has now developed into a fullyfunctional Child Protection
Centre. The Child Protection Programme is a step bystep comprehensive
module developed by UTSAH to better the conditions of and create
a protective net for vulnerable children living in unorganised slum
areas of Guwahati, by engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders.
The centre currently acts as a one-stop reporting, referral and
capacity building unit for the protection of over 150 children living
in the Hafiznagar community. It covers areas of intervention like
child abuse, exploitation, women and child health, child labour
and children in difficult circumstances.
|
Mainstreaming of all the children into a non-formal
education set-up, Jyoti Kendras or formal schools, with the support of
Smile Foundation is an important agenda of the Child Protection Centre.
So far, 33 children have been rescued from the clutches of child labour
and enrolled at the Mission Education centre.

Capacity
Building for ASHA workers in Barmer
An interactive training session in progress |
|
Some
760 Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and Supervisors got
advanced training on antenatal and postnatal care, besides how to
engage the community effectively in Barmer district in Rajasthan.
Both the 2-day workshops also included measures to prevent child
marriage and practice of evil customs among others.
Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are community health
workers instituted by the government of India’s Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare, under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
|
The workshops were held at the office of the
Chief Medical and Health Officer, Barmer, Dr. Jitendra Singh. He was accompanied
by Mrs. Shamma Bano, Pradhan Chohtan; Dr. M.L. Maurya, RCHO Barmer; Dr.
B.S. Gehlot, Deputy CMHO Barmer; Mrs. Lila from Cairn India, besides Smile
Foundation representatives.

World Health Day commemorated at Raghogarh
World Health Day was commemorated
at the Government Polytechnic College, Raghogarh in Guna district
of Madhya Pradesh. An awareness campaign on the theme ‘Hypertension
– Symptoms and Risk factors associated with the lifestyle
disease’ was organised.
Around 200 students from the Mission Education centre in Padarkhedi
village and students from Polytechnic College participated in
the event.
Area health officials such as Mr. Anil Shukla (Malaria Inspector)
and Mr. Purushottam Puri (Vice-President, Municipality), Mr. Daheriya
(Principal, Polytechnic College) and Mr. Jawaharlal Dwivedi (Principal,
Government P.G. College, Raghogarh) attended the session.
|
|
World Health Day celebration in progress
|
Dr. Ajit Rawat was the resource person to spread
awareness about the risk factors associated with hypertension. He discussed
the causes, symptoms and effects of the health problem with the students,
who participated enthusiastically and came up with eager questions and
good observations.

Children bring more children to school
Children, already in school,
were on an awareness drive in the villages of Ahmadapura and Padarkhedi
of Guna district in Madhya Pradesh. They convinced parents to
send all the children to Mission Education centres.
More than 200 children and teachers participated in the drive
which was designed by them. Children used many slogans such as
‘chale school chale hum’ and explained villagers how
education would make the next generation informed, empowered and
prosperous.
The integrated education and healthcare programme of Smile Foundation
in Guna district is supported by GAIL.
|
|
Students take out the awareness rally |

Bilaspur citizens support local projects
A student serenades on Md. Rafi’s melodies |
|
Smile
Foundation sensitizes the civil society regularly and involves them
in the process of development locally. The aim is to make them equal
partners in grassroots projects in order to achieve accountability
as well as to sustain the projects locally in the long run.
With the same objective, ‘Mohammad Rafi Night’ was
organized in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. Local youth participated in
three levels of competitions to sing the legendary Bollywood playback
singer’s songs.
Prominent singers from across Chhattisgarh such as Girish Tiwari,
Raja Khan, Tarun Sharma, Dr. Charanjit Singh Gumbat and Asfaq Varma
et al also enthralled the audience.
|
More than 1000 music lovers came to the event held
at Raghavendra Rao Sabha Bhavan which began at 8 PM and culminated at
2:30 AM. Two of Smile Foundation’s local Mission Education projects
namely Sikhar Yuba Manch and Mitwa benefitted from the endeavour. As many
as 250 children are getting education at the two centres.

Educational Software in Samvedana Centre
Children in Mission Education
programme centre ‘Samvedana’ in Ahmedabad, Gujarat
will avail of innovative learning methods through CAMI Education
from this session. CAMI Education is educational software developed
by CAMI, a reputed Australian firm, which focuses on enhancing
the methodological, linguistic and perceptual skills of children.
Students from grade third to ninth will benefit from the new
learning technique. The teachers from the project have completed
an introduction session on CAMI for introducing the curriculum
as a pilot phase, benefiting a minimum of 300 children.
“CAMI Education is very innovative and our kids are going
to find it interesting.
|
|
Teachers at Samvedana get hands-on training on CAMI |
It is a step forward towards the student-centered
learning approach, as the curriculum revolves completely around the learners.
This will definitely give them an edge,” said the teachers.

Eye Camp at Air Force Station, Barmer
Aspecialized eye check-up
camp was organized at Air Force Station, Barmer on the request
of Air Force Officers on World Health Day. Around 270 people from
the community, including Air Force officials, availed of the health
services at the camp.
The chief guest at the health camp was Air Commodore A. Dixit
VM, Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station, Utarlai, followed
by Mrs. Archana Dixit, President AFWWA (L), Air Force Station
Utarlai, Wing Commander Kavita Bhatnagar, SMO, Air Force Station,
Utarlai and Mr. Suman Talukadar, Assistant Manager, CSR, Cairn
India.
A puppet show highlighting vital health and social issues was
also conducted as part of the programme, to sensitize the community
on the importance of health and hygiene and promote health-seeking
behaviour. An additional 300 beneficiaries were reached through
the awareness programme.
|
|
People
line up for check up at the Eye camp |

Clean Barmer Green Barmer campaign
Shamma Bano, Pradhan Chohtan, Barmer, plants a sapling |
|
On
World Environment Day, a year-long campaign known as ‘Clean
Barmer Green Barmer’ was initiated in Barmer district, Rajasthan.
Besides Smile Foundation and CAIRN India, many governmental and
non-governmental agencies including Department of Forests, Help
Age India, Dhara Sansthan and Nagar Parishad are also part of this
initiative.
Saplings were distributed and various awareness activities were
conducted on the occasion. Mr. Alok Shrivastava, Commissioner Nagar
Parishad; Shri Ved Prakash Gurjar, Deputy Conservator of Forests;
Ms. Shamma Bano, Chouhtan Pradhan; Mr. Jitendra Singh, Chief Medical
and Health Officer, Barmer; Mr. Mahesh Iyer, Senior Manager, CAIRN
India among others took active participation in the campaign.
Every family in the region pledged to plant at least one tree in
the name of their loved ones. |

Healthy Mothers, Educated Children
Only when the mother is
healthy, children will go to school and study well. With this
belief, an awareness programme on immunization and best healthcare
practices was organized by Mission Education Programme’s
UTSAH centre in Assam. East Guwahati State Dispensary and Department
of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of Assam supported the drive
which was carried out on June 7.
The drive was designed especially for the benefit of women and
children living in Hafiznagar No. 2 Slum area at Bamunimaidan
in Guwahati. Buluma Saikia, Chief Medical Supervisor of the East
Guwahati State Dispensary, facilitated the programme and discussed
issues like antenatal and postnatal care, nutrition for adolescent
girls and women, importance of the use of sanitary pads, women
and child hygiene and immunization against diseases like Hepatitis
B, OPV, DTP and MMR with the beneficiaries.
Sixty working women from the slum area and 75 children of the
Mission Education Centre were included in the intensive awareness
programme.
|
|
Baluma Saikia guiding women and children on health issues |

Health camps at Bhalswa and Murga Farms
Health camps were organized
for the underprivileged community of Bhalswa re-settlement colony,
Delhi, and Murga Farm, DLF Phase III, Gurgaon, in association
with BlackRock Gives (philanthropic arm of BlackRock Inc.), on
June 15.
The re-settlement colony of Bhalswa was set up in year 2000 with
families from Jehangirpuri, Rohini and Nizamuddin. Majority of
the population are rickshaw pullers, small hawkers, ragpickers,
daily wage labours and domestic workers. Murga Farm, on the other
hand, comprises migrant population from Bangladesh. There are
around 300 families with a population of 1000. Majority of people
living here are illiterate and into unorganised labour. Men work
as rag pickers and women are domestic maids.
Through these two camps, curative services were rendered to 477
patients, comprising 187 children, by a panel comprising of a
gynaecologist, paediatrician and a general physician. Most of
the cases pertained to respiratory and urinary infection, ENT
problems, RTI, anaemia, stomach problems, injuries, allergy, and
gastric issues.
|
|
Residents of the Bhalswa colony register for the
Smile health camp |
|