“The greatest glory in life is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall”.

This quote by Nelson Mandela should give us great courage in this difficult time as the whole world faces an unprecedented challenge due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic has indelibly touched almost all aspects of our everyday lives, right from our personal health and mental well being to our social behaviors and professional spaces. There has been a setback in the progress most countries had made towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Health is only the most obvious area that has been affected, but as we know the pandemic has also led to one of the biggest economic crisis in recent times, and has adversely impacted many other critical areas such as education and livelihood.

The worst sufferers have been the vulnerable population – in India millions of daily wagers, migrant workers and their families have had to face starvation, joblessness, loss of dignity, and are still struggling to get back on their feet. As a humanitarian organization, these are the communities that we serve first and foremost, and in this time of crisis we have been working harder than ever before to ensure that children and families have access to essential services such as nutrition, education, healthcare, and livelihood opportunities.

At the same time, we have also been working towards adapting our existing programmes as per the neo normal situation, embracing the digital wave that has enabled the world to move on despite the pandemic. However, awareness and accessibility still remain a huge problem for a large sized population in the country, challenging the limits of the Digital India that we dream of.

Through this Smilescapes, we are sharing with you glimpses of some of our efforts to help the most vulnerable children and families tide through the pandemic. A shout out to our corporate supporters and individual contributors who have stood by us in this crucial time! The road ahead is still full of challenges, but with your continued support, we will keep on moving further and farther on our journey of spreading smiles.