Pune : Smile Foundation, a national level development organization benefitting more than 300,000 underprivileged children and youth through 158 welfare projects got association from a power couple of Pune.
Dr. Tarita Shankar, Chairperson of Indira Group of Institutes (IGI) along with her better half Mr. Aditya Mehendale has joined hands with Smile Foundation for the cause of education. This power couple has decided to be patron for educating 50 underprivileged girl children under Mission Education programme of Smile Foundation.
According to Dr. Tarita Shankar “There is no better way to thank God for whatever you are bestowed with then to give back to the society. We are a firm believer that education is a very powerful medium to curb all social evils in the society. Education can bring a great change in the society and a woman feels more confident when she is educated.”
Smile Foundation is working on subjects such as education, healthcare, livelihood, girl child & women empowerment across 25 states of India since 2002. Mission Education programme of Smile Foundation focuses on basic education and healthcare of underprivileged children. Through the programme, Smile Foundation promotes universal education and creates the process required to streamline the underprivileged children into the mainstream schools in a more sustained manner.
Mr. Vikram Singh Verma, Director – Operations, Smile Foundation, said, “We at Smile always feel real change can only be brought when civil society takes part in the process of development. We greatly admire the step taken by Ms. Tarita Shankar and Mr. Aditya Mehendale. These girls will be able to make a better society tomorrow because of their education.”
This couple has been a renowned philanthropist and educationalist in terms of their concern for the upliftment of the society. Ms. Tarita Shankar has provided service and support to the neglected section of the society which includes underprivileged children, physically handicapped people, senior citizens, girl child’s education, women empowerment. While education continues to be the mainstay of her involvement in society and to bring goodness, she has always been a great influence for children in providing them with education.