Year: 2024

• PepsiCo Foundation, Smile Foundation, and Sangrur District Administration partnership tackled nutrition challenges
• Three-year initiative surpasses goals, impacting 60,000 lives through innovative nutrition and community efforts
• Aligned with Poshan Abhiyaan, NEP bolsters nutrition security and infrastructure in 23 Sangrur villages

Sangrur, 23 August 2024: The PepsiCo Foundation, in collaboration with Smile Foundation and the Sangrur District Administration, announced the successful culmination of a three-year initiative: the Nutrition Enhancement Program (NEP). Aligned with PepsiCo Positive (pep+), PepsiCo’s end-to-end strategic transformation with sustainability at its center, this program has significantly exceeded its targets, making substantial strides in addressing the critical challenges of maternal and child nutrition in the Sangrur district of Punjab.

The NEP impacted over 16,000 beneficiaries directly and reached approximately 45,000 individuals overall – more than three times the original target. This remarkable achievement underscores the program’s effectiveness in transforming the nutritional landscape of the region. The program focused on improving the nutritional status of pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children aged 0-6 years across 23 villages, encompassing 27 Anganwadi Centres in the Bhawanigarh,  Dhuri, Sunam and Monak blocks of Sangrur.

Yashika Singh, Head of Corporate Affairs, Communication & Sustainability, PepsiCo said, “The Nutrition Enhancement Program is a testament to PepsiCo Foundation’s commitment to sustainable community development. By collaborating with Smile Foundation and the Sangrur District Administration, we’ve not only surpassed our targets but have also built a model for public-private partnership that addresses deep-rooted nutritional challenges. We are grateful to all our partners and the community members who have been pivotal in this transformative journey; enabling a healthier future for the most vulnerable populations—young mothers and children.”

“This program has exceeded our expectations in both reach and impact,” said Santanu Mishra, Co-founder & Executive Trustee of Smile Foundation. “The collaborative effort between PepsiCo Foundation, the ICDS department, and the Sangrur District Administration has led to visible and inspiring results, contributing to the government’s broader goals of nutritional security.”

Key highlights of the NEP’s multipronged approach include:

• Community Engagement: Engaged over 9,750 participants in community sessions, household visits, and special day observations, significantly exceeding the initial target of 5,000.
• Capacity Building: Conducted eight capacity-building sessions for Anganwadi workers and trained 38 teachers across 21 schools, surpassing initial training targets.
• Health and Screening Camps: Organized 260 health camps, far exceeding the planned 60 camps, benefiting thousands of women and children.
• Infrastructure Enhancement: Refurbished 27 Anganwadi Centres, transforming them into hubs of nutritional and health education.
• Innovative Nutrition Interventions: Introduced community kitchen gardens, developed recipe booklets, and implemented anaemia awareness sessions, reaching over 2,000 adolescents in 21 schools.

The broader significance of the NEP aligns with global efforts to combat malnutrition, as highlighted by the UN’s ‘State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024’ report. India holds a 14.37% share of the world’s undernourished population consisting of 194.6 million individuals, especially prevalent among women and children.

The northern region of Punjab, in particular, bears a burden higher than the national average, with 23% of children under five suffering from stunted growth and 14% of women displaying below-normal body mass index (BMI), as highlighted by the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-21. These figures underline the need for localized interventions like the NEP to address the nuanced challenges faced by communities in Sangrur.

Aligned with the goals of the Poshan Abhiyaan by the Government of India, the NEP improved the nutritional status of children, women, and adolescent girls. This initiative underscored PepsiCo India’s guiding principle of ‘Unnati ki Sajhedari- Partnership of Progress.’ Through this principle, PepsiCo emphasizes collaboration with all stakeholders—government, civil society, and the community—towards holistic progress for all.

ABOUT PEPSICO FOUNDATION

The PepsiCo Foundation, the philanthropic arm of PepsiCo, invests in the essential elements of a sustainable food system with a mission to support thriving communities. Working with non-profits and experts around the globe, we’re focused on helping communities obtain access to food security, safe water and economic opportunity. We strive for tangible impact in the places where we live and work—collaborating with industry peers, local and international organizations, and our employees to affect large-scale change on the issues that matter to us and are of global importance. Learn more at www.pepsico.com/pepsico-foundation

ABOUT SMILE FOUNDATION

Smile Foundation is an Indian development organization, working in the areas of education. skilling, nutrition, and healthcare across 27 states of India, benefitting 1.5 million children and their families directly every year. Visit www.smilefoundationindia.org

Festival opened with Polish Super-hit, ‘Lampo – The Travelling Dog’

Bhubaneswar; 7^th of September 2024: Smile Foundation, in partnership with the European Union, hosts the first-ever European film festival in Bhubaneswar. Being organised under the Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth (SIFFCY), this three-day edition is tailor-made for school children and is scheduled from 6th to 8th of September, 2024 in DAV Public School, Chandrasekharpur.

“This is an honour for me to bring such an innovative and international platform for thousands of children my home state, Odisha,” said Mr. Jitendra Mishra, SIFFCY Director.

The opening ceremony was graced by Mr. Jitendra Mishra, acclaimed filmmaker and festival director of SIFFCY, Ms. Magdalena Filipczuk, Director Polish Institute, Embassy of Poland, New Delhi, and Mr. Volodymyr Prytula, Second Secretary (Culture, Press & Information), Embassy of Ukraine in India. In addition, Dr Sujata Sahu, Principal-cum-Asst. Regional Officer, DAV Public School, Chandrasekharpur; Ollywood stars Mr. Sabyasachi Mishra, Ms. Archita Sahu, award-winning filmmaker Mr. Sabyasachi Mohapatra and Mr. Sujit Mahapatra, founder of Bakul Foundation were accompanied by other dignitaries from the education, media and entertainment industries.

“We have come to Odisha, with the curated feature movies and animations for children. We have been planning together with Smile Foundation since February and I am amazed by the appreciation this festival has received in Odisha. Children here are happy with EU movies, besides being very engaged and active. So happy to be in such a welcoming city as Bhubaneswar and to cooperate with Smile Foundation,” said Ms. Magdalena Filipczuk, Director Polish Institute, Embassy of Poland, New Delhi.

The three-day festival is powered by the Polish Institute, New Delhi and is supported by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in New Delhi, Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of India, and the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre, New Delhi, and SCHLiNGEL International Film Festival, Germany. The event is supported locally by Bakul Foundation and DAV Public School, Chandrasekharpur.

“It is a great honour for Ukraine to be represented here in Bhubaneswar at SIFFCY@SCHOOL for the first time. I was impressed by the Q&A session wherein we discussed the possibility of having a project between the DAV School and schools in Ukraine. I would also like to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation to Smile Foundation for doing such a great work in promoting international cinema in India, especially for children. Dhanyabada (thank you),” remarked Mr. Volodymyr Prytula, Second Secretary (Culture, Press & Information), Embassy of Ukraine in India.

Several award-winning films from across Europe are being screened in these three days, that include Lampo, the Travelling Dog from Poland; Mission Ulja Funk, Germany, Poland, Luxembourge; Dronya’s Artifices, Ukraine; The Tesla Case, Bulgaria; Birds of Passage, France, Belgium; Shorts animation collection from the Czech Republic; Loop, Italy and many other handpicked films. During the festival, a filmmaking workshop for children was also hosted by award-winning filmmaker Mr. Snehasis Das.

“Good cinema becomes an interesting and engaging alternative to stimulate discussion among young people about vital personal, societal, moral and world issues,” expressed Mr. Santanu Mishra, chairman of SIFFCY and co-founder of Smile Foundation.

About SIFFCY:

SIFFCY (Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth) is an initiative by Smile Foundation to entertain, engage, educate and empower young minds. It is based on a strong belief that good cinema represents much more than entertainment; rather this is the most powerful medium to depict the reality and emulate values. Visit: https://siffcy.org/

About SIFFCY@SCHOOL:

SIFFCY@SCHOOL is an outreach programme of Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth that aims to bring children’s cinema from across the world to the doorsteps of the young Indian audience. As education in today’s world goes beyond books and classrooms, and what better than films to engage and inspire the young!

This is a part of our larger efforts to sensitize the country’s children and youth to become positive change-makers who can thoughtfully contribute to making the world a better place. SIFFCY@SCHOOLS is organized in collaboration with like-minded schools, institutions and local organizations. With the support of our amazing and committed school partners, we have already reached out and engaged millions of children and youth across India.

About Smile Foundation:

Smile Foundation is an Indian development organization directly benefiting over 1.5 million children and their families every year through more than 400 welfare projects on education, healthcare, livelihood, and women empowerment spread across 2,000 villages and urban clusters in 28 states. Visit www.smilefoundationindia.org

Kolkata; Aug 27: A coffee table book titled “From Canvas to Community” was released by Berger Paints India Ltd. It contained a dozen of case studies, selected from over 3,00,000 household painters who have been trained across India.

Berger Paints India Limited has partnered with Smile Foundation carry out “iTrain on Wheels” programme, an upskilling initiative aimed at honing the skills of young painters by training them in contemporary painting techniques while simultaneously upskilling existing painters to enhance their employability opportunities. The programme aims to develop a pool of skilled workforce in addition to developing entrepreneurial skills in painters.

Currently 23 Mobile iTrains projects are operational in 25 states and three union territories, covering 289 districts, out of which 51 are aspirational districts. So far 3 lakhs household painters have already been trained and upskilled free of cost, resulting in increase in their incomes and many of them turning entrepreneurs.

Berger Paints India Ltd and Smile Foundation are proud to announce a groundbreaking initiative aimed at empowering women painters simultaneously in the male-dominated trade of painting through mobile skill training initiative.

Through this innovative programme, men and women are being equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in the paint industry. The training not only provides them with valuable technical skills but also empowers them to take control of their own lives and create a better future for themselves and their families.

“This initiative is a testament to the power of collaboration and commitment to make a positive impact in the lives of ordinary household painters. We are thankful to Berger Paints India Ltd for its trust in Smile Foundation to implement this innovative programme. By providing women with the tools they need to succeed in the paint industry, we are not only empowering them but also contributing to the overall development of society,” Said Mr. Santanu Mishra, Co-founder & Executive Trustee, Smile Foundation.

As part of the iTrain on Wheels initiative we continuously engage with communities and uncover inspiring success stories from across the country. To bring these stories together in one place, we are excited to launch a coffee table book titled ‘ From Canvas to Community ‘, which showcases some of these remarkable journeys.

Announces official selections

150 Films from 40 countries to be screened; 50 locations covered

New Delhi:  Smile Foundation is hosting the 10th edition of the annual Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth (SIFFCY) in partnership with the European Union (The delegation of the European Union in India). SIFFCY in its 10^th year has put together a diverse list of films from India and abroad to be organized in a hybrid model. The main celebrations, including the opening and award ceremonies, are happening at the PHD House, New Delhi during 9-11^th April. SIFFCY will also be hosted at 50 different locations across India simultaneously, making it the largest and biggest film festival in the country.

The European Union and its member countries such as Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland will be taking the center-stage as the countries of focus this year. SIFFCY 2024 will have various categories such as International Competition (Feature and Shorts), 70MM Smile which features World Panorama Feature and non-feature films, while the Yellow Carpet segment celebrates the diverse Indian Regional Cinema in Malayalam, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Rajasthani, Karbi, Garhwali, Nepali etc. Films made by Children can be viewed at Take One and Extra Smiles brings together the best of SIFFCY from the earlier editions as well as classics.

Multiple special showcase this year includes 10 films made by the students of BATA University, the Czech Republic, to be presented by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in India. Eight Classic Animations (1990s / 35mm) curated by TV Studio Animated Films, Poland will be presented by acclaimed film personality from Poland Mr. Jerzy Moszkowicz along with the Polish Institute New Delhi. Eight Award winning films from Germany are to be presented by SCHLiNGEL Int’l Film Festival. Multiple films made by children from more than 30 different countries (including the USA, Spain, Columbia, Portugal, Belgium, Ukraine, Croatia, Greece, Austria, Germany, Estonia, Australia, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Malaysia) and films on environment, family values, inclusion, disability, friendship, art and culture, war and peace and many other important topics will be made available for the young film lovers.

“I believe that good cinema is one of the most powerful media to depict reality and to emulate values. Good cinema has the power to stimulate discussion and contemplation in young minds about personal, emotional, societal and moral duties, thereby enabling them to become better and stronger individuals. With a platform like SIFFCY, we want to contribute towards bringing positive societal change that begins with the young minds,” says Mr. Santanu Mishra, Chairman of SIFFCY and Co-founder & Executive Trustee of Smile Foundation.

“As we celebrate the 10^th anniversary edition of the festival, this year we are trying to reach out to a larger young audience in multiple locations across the country and spread extra smiles. We are going to screen 150 films from 40 countries, besides hosting ten different types of film-related interactive sessions and capacity building workshops for children and youth free of cost,” SIFFCY Festival Director Mr. Jitendra Mishra said on this occasion.

SIFFCY will see sizeable participation by schools and communities across India. Screenings and programmes are scheduled to tap young, imaginative minds. Selected films and programmes will also be streaming on a dedicated, secured, geo-blocked virtual platform of the festival for a larger audience throughout the week. SIFFCY intends to continue with his mission of reaching out to as many children and youth as possible and bring together an entertaining and enlightening format.

SIFFCY’s journey over the last decade has brought together a milieu where professional filmmakers and young amateurs have brought forward the best of audio-visual medium. Keeping the tradition alive, this year SIFFCY will host 50 young Jurors from across the world, besides 30 International Professional Jurors from 15 countries.

SIFFCY is the only non-European Festival to host ‘European Children’s Film Association Award (ECFA) and the only Indian Festival to host CIFEJ Award supported by UNESCO.

SIFFCY this year will organize 10 different workshops, masterclasses and panel discussions on wide-ranging topics like environment, family values, war and peace, road safety amongst others.

ABOUT SIFFCY

SIFFCY (Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth) is an initiative by Smile Foundation to entertain, engage, educate and empower young minds. It is based on a strong belief that good cinema represents much more than entertainment; rather this is the most powerful medium to depict the reality and emulate values. Film becomes an interesting and engaging alternative to stimulate discussion among young people about vital personal, societal, moral and world issues. https://siffcy.org/

Films from Taiwan, France, South Korea, Belgium, the Netherlands and India win awards at Smile International Film Festival

150 Films from 40 countries participated in various categories

New Delhi:  The 10th edition of the annual Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth (SIFFCY), organized by Smile Foundation in partnership with the European Union (The delegation of the European Union in India), announced film awards in numerous categories in New Delhi. German film Weekend Rebels won a maximum of five awards in various categories. Weekend Rebels enthralled the audience and the jury with its fine craft of storytelling, besides displaying good theatrical and directorial acumen. Marc Rothemund won the best director award and Cecilio Andresen won the best actor for Weekend Rebels. The film also won the FCCI Award along with International Competition Feature Film (CHILDREN) and (Story).

SIFFCY is the only non-European Festival to host ‘European Children’s Film Association Award (ECFA) and the only Indian festival to host CIFEJ Award supported by the UNESCO. Kung Fu Lion from the Netherlands won the ECFA award, while the CIFEJ Award went to ICARUS and The Minotaur from Luxembourg, France and Belgium.

In another notable category, the Next Gen award was bagged by animation film Kasang Alun from India. The Young Jury award was conferred to Hannah meets Hannah from South Korea while 30 Days from Taiwan won the International competition short film.

The 10^th edition of Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth (SIFFCY) witness sizeable participation from various schools and young audience. Panel discussions on Road Safety, regional cinema, children cinema and green screen brought forward insights and diverse views on the topics.

Mr. Santanu Mishra, Chairman of SIFFCY and Co-founder of Smile Foundation said, “It is a momentous occasion for all of us at Smile Foundation as we showcase a decade of good cinema through SIFFCY. We believe that cinema plays a pivotal role in shaping the young minds. We will carry forward our mission to engage young audience creatively and meaningfully to strengthen the value system in our society. Good content and work of art bring lots of opportunities and, in this digital age, platform like SIFFCY has a significant role to play.”

Mr. Santanu Mishra is also the producer of the much acclaimed film; I am Kalam.

LIST OF WINNERS AT SMILE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FEATURE FILM (YOUTH)

ICARUS AND MINOTAUR | LUXEMBOURG, FRANCE, BELGIUM

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FEATURE FILM (CHILDREN)

WEEKEND REBELS | GERMANY

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FEATURE FILM (STORY)

WEEKEND REBELS | GERMANY

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FEATURE FILM (ACTOR)

CECILIO ANDRESEN FOR WEEKEND REBELS

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION FEATURE FILM (DIRECTOR)

MARC ROTHEMUND FOR WEEKEND REBELS

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION SHORT FILM

30 DAYS | TAIWAN

NEXT GEN

KASANG ALUN | INDIA

YOUNG JURY

HANNAH MEETS HANNAH | SOUTH KOREA

European Children’s Film Association Award – ECFA AWARD

KUNG FU LION | NETHERLANDS

CIFEJ AWARD

ICARUS AND THE MINOTAUR | LUXEMBOURG, FRANCE, BELGIUM

FCCI AWARD

WEEKEND REBELS | GERMANY

About SIFFCY

SIFFCY (Smile International Film Festival for Children & Youth) is an initiative by Smile Foundation to entertain, engage, educate and empower young minds. It is based on a strong belief that good cinema represents much more than entertainment; rather this is the most powerful medium to depict the reality and emulate values. Film becomes an interesting and engaging alternative to stimulate discussion among young people about vital personal, societal, moral and world issues. https://siffcy.org/

Children should dream big and art & culture is essential for inspiration: EU Ambassador, Hervé Delphin

Cultural exchange will bring world peace and harmony: Mishra

New Delhi, April 10: Given the impact of good cinema on young minds, Smile Foundation is considering creation of a SIFFCY Fund to encourage making films specifically for children and youth, says Santanu Mishra, co-founder of Smile Foundation. Mr Mishra is the brain behind SIFFCY and is also its chairman. He informs that various stakeholders have been approaching the organisation in order to create such a fund that could further support and promote good cinema meant for children and youth in the country. 

The biggest feature of creativity is that it is not threatened by artificial intelligence and no creative person will be under-appreciated because of AI, Santanu said while inaugurating the 10^th edition of the ‘Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth’ (SIFFCY) in New Delhi. Being held in collaboration with the European Union, the festival is being organised across 50 locations in India in a hybrid mode. This makes SIFFCY the largest film festival in India. 

The Ambassador of the European Union, H. E. Mr. Hervé Delphin was present at the inauguration of the festival as the chief guest. The European Union and its member countries such as Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland are taking the centre-stage as the countries of focus this year. Many other diplomats from the EU member states also graced the inaugural event. 

The EU ambassador, Mr. Hervé Delphin, during his address conveyed his satisfaction of being a part of SIFFCY once again and appreciated Smile Foundation for this unique initiative. He further said that children globally should dream big and exchange of inspirations in the form of art and culture remained essential. 

The active participation of the European Union in SIFFCY 2024 is aimed at facilitating cultural exchange between the citizens of India and the European Union countries, due to which a sense of understanding, respect and global brotherhood will be strengthened. The sense of belonging that arises between people through the exchange of culture, art and ideas is beneficial for children and youth, who will shape the future course of humanity.

SIFFCY is an initiative of Smile Foundation to entertain, engage, educate and empower young minds. Smile Foundation believes that meaningful work of art, especially good cinema, not only entertains but also leaves an indelible impression on the young minds. As a result, children and youth catalyse a positive change thanks to their way of thinking and their sense of duty towards the society. Good cinema is a powerful medium to depict reality and inculcate values. Meaningful film becomes an interesting and engaging tool to encourage discussion among the youth about important personal, social, moral and global issues too.

Creation and availability of meaningful yet entertaining content tailor-made for young audience becomes more pertinent, considering the unbridled access to a plethora of inappropriate materials.

This year, around 150 curated films from 40 countries are being showcased for the young Indian audience through SIFFCY. 

Mr. Santanu Mishra, SIFFCY chairman and producer of the much-acclaimed film ‘I am Kalam’, states that childhood is the decisive age of human life – the lessons we learn, the habits we make as children, it stays with us forever. Therefore, it is important that we sensitise our youngsters with a positive value system from the very beginning which will help them become kind and responsible citizens. 

Painters will be trained free of cost, helping them increase their income

Vadodara; May 9: Leading paint company Berger Paints India Ltd. has partnered with Smile Foundation to train painters across India through the ‘iTrain on Wheels’ programme free of cost. The two partners have brought iTrain mobile vans to Vadodara district to upgrade the skills of household painters and enhance their employability and earning opportunities. Under the programme, painters will be trained in contemporary painting techniques, thereby creating a pool of skilled workforce.

This is the third iTrain project in the state of Gujarat. Similar projects have already been operational in Surat and Rajkot districts. The Vadodara project will train promising and existing household painters in the district and the surrounding area free of cost.

The training, conducted by Smile Foundation, will ensure that painters get an opportunity irrespective of gender to improve their existing skills through upskilling modules. In addition to facilitation of training, Smile Foundation shall also monitor and evaluate the programme and its impact assessment.

The mobile training vans are equipped with audio-visual aids, advance painting tools, and advance paints, while the training is imparted by industry experts. The training module comprises of well-designed, crisp and advanced training modules that are required for advanced painting work, appealing household clients and increasing painters’ income.

Smile Foundation is associated with the iTrain on Wheels Programme of Berger Paints since 2021 and so far has trained 3 lakhs painters across the country, successfully and free of cost. As of now there are 23 mobile iTrain projects operational in 25 Indian states and three union territories, covering over 50,000 locations across 300 districts, including 51 aspirational districts.

Mr. N. I. Joseph, National Head – Sales Excellence & Training at Berger Paints says that when the expertise of an Indian social institution like Smile Foundation meets our robust infrastructure across India, we change lives. He further adds that Smile Foundation has been executing the iTrain on Wheels programme across India, helping Berger Paints achieve its social responsibility well.

The launch event in Vadodara was attended by several key figures, including the Mr. N. I. Joseph, National Head – Sales Excellence & Training at Berger Paints; Mr. Harshal Ahya, Divisional Manager Retail, Berger Paints; Mr. Indrajit Banerjee, Manager (Operations), iTrain at Berger Paints; Ms. Bipasha Patnaik, General Manager, Smile Foundation; Mr. Kaushik Bandopadhyay, Deputy General Manager, Smile Foundation; and Ms. Joieta Rajput, Assistant General Manager, Smile Foundation.