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Story of the unsung heroes-spirit of volunteerism

Extraveller (January 13, 2016)

We all know about the recent torrential rains in the southern state of India, Tamil Nadu. The fury of nature was so vast that continuous days of rain left the major areas reeling under 3-4 feet of water. It was water everywhere and the capital city of Chennai was also very badly affected. Though this recent flood in Chennai devastated the city but the spirit of Chennai refused to succumb during the devastation and at this time they had the support of Smile Foundation.

Smile Foundation is a national level development organisation came forward at such a time of calamity. Smile Foundation benefits 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.

Smile Foundation, with its welfare interventions focused on children and their families, responds to the call of humanity in times of calamities under its Disaster Response programme. From the Kashmir earthquake in 2005 to the Uttarakhand floods, J&K floods and the recent Nepal earthquake, Smile Foundation has acted promptly to reach out and respond to the immediate needs of the disaster affected people, while also maintaining a sustainable approach to help them rebuild their lives by facilitating their education, healthcare and livelihood.

During the recent unleash of torrential rains everything in Chennai 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.

Smile Foundation 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, bottled water, survival kits and medical facilities. The Disaster Response team of Smile Foundation actively aided the rescue and immediate relief efforts in the city and reached approx 6 lakh people with water and food. The team had procured and distributed relief materials through 12 distribution hubs with each distribution point catering to 6-8 sub locations.

As per the need assessment done by the team on ground, water contamination was identified as a major issue, and a possible outbreak of water-borne diseases was detected. Hence the first priority was to mobilize safe drinking water in large quantity, along with dry and packaged food. In the phase I operation, Smile Foundation’s Disaster Response team had been able to distribute over 37780 kgs of dry food and 7, 56,000 litres of water supplied by PepsiCo.

The areas being covered during flood were mainly Pallavaram, Annaputtur, Naagai keni, Karima Nagar and Mudichur in Kanchipuram district; Ponneri, Ennor, Seethanambakkam and Minjur in Thiruninravuur district and the entire Chennai city region. As the water receded, the mobile hospital of Smile Foundation, Smile on Wheels (SOW) started delivering healthcare services. The Smile on Wheels van was equipped with doctors, lab technicians, Pathology services etc and also distributed medicines as well. In the next phase multi specialty health services are going to start to cope up with aftermath of the disaster.

But all said and done it was a mammoth task to accomplish alone. The team from Smile got people who offered their selfless service and helped us in reaching out. There were 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. The volunteers worked 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. I salute Smile Foundation and the volunteers, i.e. those unsung heroes who braved everything and stood up in the time of devastation.

All said and one, now the bad times are over but still further need assessment is now being done to devise short term and long term plans for rehabilitation and revival of the affected children and families in identified flood affected areas.

For more information about Smile Foundattion – please visit – www.smilefoundationindia.org

Privacy Policy - Smile Foundation

Information Gathering

1. Smile Foundation collects information from the users in a number of ways, for example when the user:

  • Makes a donation
  • Signs up for a campaign
  • Signs up to stay updated

2. While forwarding a donation for Smile Foundation the well-wishers have to submit some personal information as it would help us ensuring genuine contributions:

  • Your name
  • Your email and mailing address
  • Your telephone number
  • Your payment processing details
  • Any other data as required

3. Smile Foundation does not collect or record the user’s personal information unless he/she chooses to provide it.

Use of Personal Information

1. General browsing of Smile Foundation website is anonymous and it does not register the user’spersonal information except the time, date and place of visits and the name of internet service provider. This data is used only for statistics and diagnosis.

2. By signing up for various services offered by Smile Foundation, the user explicitly authorizes us to collect information based on the user’s usage. The information is used to help provide a better experience to the user and is used as per the user’s specified instructions.

3. Smile Foundation keeps the user information strictly confidential and this information is secured safely. All relevant information collected through Smile Foundation website is handled and used by internal and/or authorized officials only. It is nevershared with any external agencies or third party individuals.

4. Smile Foundation uses the information givento it in the following ways:

  • To keep an accurate record of all the donations received
  • To update users about its happenings and developments through bulletins and newsletters, with an option of not to subscribe for the same
  • To make sure the user is receiving the most appropriate and relevant information
  • To find out more about the people who are visiting the Smile Foundationwebsite, donating, or joining its campaigns

5. Usually, Smile Foundation does not store user data. In case of specific sign-ups, the data is stored as per user request. The user can opt to delete all the information he/she has provided by simply requesting such by mail. All information, without exception, will be deleted in two working days.

Privacy of e-mail lists

Individuals who join Smile Foundation’s mailing lists via its website or through its campaigning engagements are added to its email database. Smile Foundation does not sell, rent, loan, trade, or lease the addresses on our lists to anyone.

Cookie Policy

1. Cookies are pieces of electronic information which will be sent by Smile Foundation when a user visitsthe website. These will be placed in the hard disk of the user’s computer and enable Smile Foundation to recognise the user when he/she visits the website again.

2. The user can configure his/her browser so that it responds to cookies the way he/she deems fit. For example, you make want to accept all cookies, reject them all or get notified when a cookie is sent. The users may check their browser’s settings to modify cookie behaviour as per individual behaviour.

3. If a user disables the use of cookies on the web browser, or removes or rejects specific cookies from Smile Foundation’swebsite or linked sites then he/she may not be able to use the website as it is intended.

Payment Gateway

1. SmileFoundation uses well-recognised and proven technology for payments. Payment information is transferred by the use of an SSL connection which offers the highest degree of security that the donor’s browser is able to support.

2. Several layers of built-in security, including an advanced firewall system, encryption of credit card numbers, and use of passwords, protect the collected information.

External Web Services

1. Smile Foundation uses a number of external web services on its site to display content within its web pages. For example, to display video it uses YouTube. As with the social media buttons, Smile Foundation cannot prevent these sites, or external domains, from collecting information on the user’s consumption of the content embedded on its site.

2. The Smile Foundation website contains links to other websites for the benefit of its visitors. This Privacy Policy does not apply to such other websites.

3. Smile Foundation is not expressly or impliedly responsible for, or liable to any loss or damage caused to a user by the collection, use and retention of Personal Information by such website in any manner whatsoever. It is important that the users review the privacy policies of all websites they visit before disclosing any information to such websites.

Changes to Privacy Policy

1. As and when the need arises, Smile Foundation may alter its privacy policy in accordance with the latest technology and trends. It will provide you with timely notice of these changes. The users may reach out to Smile Foundation if they have any queries about any changes made to its practices.

2. If you have any questions at all about Smile Foundation’s privacy policy, please write to us at: [email protected]

Refund and Cancellation Policy

Welcome to this web-site of SMILE FOUNDATION. We make public our policy on refund and cancellation of donations received for the social cause on payment gateway as under:-

  • No refund/cancellation for the donated amount by any donor will not be entertained, the online donations through the online payment gateway.
  • No cash or refund of money will be allowed.
  • If any in-kind support received by the donor from any where the material will be reached to the poorest of the poorer communities.
  • Once received the donation for a cause will not be refunded to the donor. No cancellation to be made. The donation will be used for the community development, children education or women’s empowerment.
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donation for child education in india

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