At Smile Foundation, our mission is to bring sustainable changes in the lives of children and families across India. This is achieved through education, healthcare, women empowerment and livelihood programmes. With the generous support of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) partners, we have been able to extend our reach and impact, transforming communities.
Here, we highlight some of our best CSR partnerships that have supported our programmes and exemplified the spirit of giving and social responsibility. These CSR partnerships are a proof about what can be achieved when corporate entities collaborate with grassroots organisations to create meaningful change.
1. GlaxoSmithKline Asia Pvt Ltd.
Our partnership with GlaxoSmithKline Pvt. Ltd. has significantly boosted our healthcare initiative. Through this collaboration, GlaxoSmithKline, the maker of Sensodyne, and Smile Foundation have launched the “Smile On Wheels” mobile medical units as part of their CSR initiative.
In India, 85-90% of adults and 60-80% of children suffer from dental issues. Acknowledging the urgent need for dental care, this initiative aims to improve oral health in India by providing free dental consultations to underserved communities and enhancing access to dental care at the grassroots level. Equipped with a GPS facility and staffed by a registered dentist, technician and program coordinator, these mobile units are operated by Smile Foundation to raise awareness about oral health and hygiene and to increase access to oral healthcare services.
2. Berger Paints
Berger Paints’ partnership with Smile Foundation has made efforts towards enhancing entrepreneurial skills and employment opportunities for upskilling painters in India. Their support has been pivotal in our flagship program, “Smile Twin e-Learning Programme (STeP),” which provides training to the old and young painters of our country to improve their skills through upskilling modules.
Berger Paints and Smile Foundation have jointly implemented the iTrain on Wheels Program, which trains painters in contemporary painting techniques. Besides facilitating the initiative, Smile Foundation will look after its monitoring and evaluation and impact assessment. This initiative has been crucial in creating numerous job and also entrepreneurial opportunities for painters across India.
3. PepsiCo India
PepsiCo India has been a steadfast supporter of our nutrition enhancement initiatives. After the successful implementation of Project Sampoorna, a groundbreaking effort to combat anaemia and malnutrition among adolescent girls in Gujarat, PepsiCo and Smile Foundation joined hands to address the healthcare and nutrition needs of underserved communities in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. This very recent partnership focused on upgrading and strengthening Primary Health Centers (PHCs) and introducing a Nutrition Enhancement Programme.
They project installed state-of-the-art machines at 27 identified PHCs. Additionally, the project includes collaborating with the government and conducting capacity-building sessions to ensure the effective use of these machines and the provision of quality healthcare to the rural populations with a focus on mother-child well-being, health and nutrition.
4. Ericsson India
Ericsson India’s collaboration with Smile Foundation has significantly strengthened our efforts to promote skill development and livelihood opportunities among youth of very low-income families. Since 2015, we have partnered with Ericsson India to operate 40 “Smile Twin e-Learning Programme” (STeP) centers across five cities: Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, and Pune.
This partnership aims to train individuals in short technical courses, preparing them for roles such as general duty/bedside assistants, patient care executives, front desk executives and telemarketers. By providing essential skills and training, we help these young individuals secure meaningful employment and build a brighter future.
5. Aditya Birla Capital Foundation
Since 2019, Smile Foundation’s partnership with Aditya Birla Capital Foundation has advanced education programs in the rural areas of Siddharthnagar and Shravasti of Uttar Pradesh. This collaboration aims to provide equitable access to quality education for children from poor socio-economic backgrounds. It is done through a four-pronged approach:
- building a child-centred
- teacher-centred learning environment
- fostering community engagement
- and creating a supportive atmosphere for learning.
Major interventions include setting up digital classes with solar panel power backups and training teachers in pedagogy and digital media use. Efforts were also made to re-enroll students who dropped out during the COVID-19 pandemic and focus on educational recovery for children who missed schooling during the lockdown. This comprehensive approach ensures that every child has the opportunity to receive a quality education.
6. Avery Dennison
Avery Dennison collaborated with Smile Foundation to empower women and adolescent girls in two villages of Gurugram, Haryana. Together, we launched a project titled “Empowering Women and Adolescent Girls Through Reproductive Health Education and Entrepreneurship Development” under our women empowerment program, “Swabhiman.”
This initiative takes a community-focused, sustainable approach, aiming to enhance reproductive well-being by merging health and economic development efforts. It supports the establishment of group model enterprises, encouraging women to achieve financial independence by starting their own businesses. By integrating reproductive health education with entrepreneurship training, the project ensures a holistic and lasting impact on the community.
7. Philips India
Philips India teamed up with Smile Foundation to improve access to quality primary healthcare services in Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu), Gadag (Karnataka), Mewat (Haryana) and the Shirur Block of Pune. We deployed four mobile telemedicine units in these districts, which have been operational for the last five years.
These units are dedicated to delivering essential primary healthcare services to urban slums and rural areas. This initiative has made significant strides in enhancing the healthcare landscape of these regions. Through this partnership, we have brought much-needed medical support to underserved communities, ensuring better health outcomes for countless individuals.
Celebrating CSR Partnerships and spreading smiles to the last mile
At Smile Foundation, we are incredibly proud of our CSR partnerships that have not only amplified our impact but have also set a benchmark for corporate social responsibility in India. Together, we are making a difference, one community at a time. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our partners for their unwavering support and commitment to our cause.
We also invite other companies to partner with us in our endeavours. You can fulfil your CSR goals by supporting our programs on education, healthcare, skilling and women empowerment. Together, we will continue to smile, inspire and create a better world for generations to come.