Bangalore : Smile Foundation, a national level development organization working for the welfare of underprivileged children, youth and women, and IIT Madras, have taken their campaign ‘Nutrition for Better Literacy’, to the next level. Smile Foundation has joined hands with IIT Madras under its annual fest Saarang to provide better nutrition to children so that they can think about the second stage in their life i.e. education. Now IIT Madras through Saarang will support Smile Foundation in sending 100 children to school by providing nutritional support to them; their first & foremost hurdle in life.

Under its next step to raise funds, Saarang IIT Madras is organizing a Choreo Night on the 10th January 2013 wherein students from various colleges will participate to showcase their talent. This campaign will culminate at IIT Madras on 13th January, 2013 with ‘Dawn to Dusk’ run. Dawn to Dusk, a 12 hour run will flag off at 9.30 am on January 13, 2012. The event will combine a running session and a cycling session. Members of Sarang and other IIT students will be active participant in this.

IIT Madras has pledged its support in the provision of nutritious meals to at least 100 underprivileged children for a whole year. The necessary funds will be raised by IIT Madras through its annual cultural festival Saarang. Every year Saarang takes up many social awareness programmes so as to help improve the society. This year also Saarang continues this tradition through Saarang Eunoia, Saarang 2013’s newest social cause initiative.

Mr Vikram Singh Verma, COO, Smile Foundation said – “Smile Foundation started this project in association with IIT Madras on Children’s Day last year. Malnutrition is a great cause of concern; a child can only think of school once he is properly nourished. We are thankful to Saarang and IIT Madras for supporting us.”

Malnutrition is one of the biggest issues faced by our society. Close to 13.5 million underprivileged children in India are out of school and into child labour in order to earn a single meal a day. A nutritious meal every day can be the solution to curb child labour and incentivize children not to miss school. The campaign ‘Nutrition for Better Literacy’ started from 14th November 2012 and will go on till 14th January 2013, dedicated to spread smiles amongst the less privileged kids to whom a meal a day is a luxury. This campaign primarily focuses on improving the quality of nutrition for the underprivileged children.

About Ramp for Champs:- Smile Foundation presents Ramp for Champs 2013- a celebrity fashion show with Prasad Bidapa, to raise funds to educate less privileged girl child. This year, Ramp for Champs will have a special focus on the girl child and will portray the aspirations of the tiny angels who are waiting for us to Smile back at them and gift them the much needed change. Every girl child you will find walking on the ramp this year will be one who has walked many a miles barefoot but ….with an infectious SMILE. They dream to be lawyers, doctors, pilots, teachers, scientists, astronauts; in fact, anything a boy a can be. All they need is someone to hold their hands, encourage them and say “You can touch the sky”!!!!

About Saarang

Saarang is the annual cultural festival of IIT Madras. It has a footfall of over 50,000 and is ISO 9001:2008 certified. Every year Saarang has supported many social awareness programmes such as Akshaya Patra and The Big Plan so as to help improve the society.