ICAI CSR Award for Women Empowerment
Smile Foundation has received recognition at the 1st ICAI CSR Awards for the ‘Best CSR Project in Women Empowerment’.
The awards have been instituted and conferred by the Committee for Cooperative and NPOS Sector and IND (AS) Implementation Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI).
Mr. Vikram Singh Verma, COO – Smile Foundation, received the award in Mumbai. “An encouragement in the form of this award from a revered institution like ICAI has renewed our commitment to work harder in the areas of child development with special focus on the girl child”, he said.
The Chief Guest Mr. Anant Geete, Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises of India, graced the awards ceremony along with Chairman of the Committee for Co-operatives and NPO Sectors, ICAI; President, ICAI; V-P, ICAI; Chairman, WIRC; Chairman, CMII Committee of WIRC, among other dignitaries.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) is the national professional accounting body of India. Established in 1949, ICAI is the second largest professional accounting body in the world in terms of membership.
Smile Foundation at the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon
Smile Foundation participated for the fifth time in the Airtel Delhi Half Marathon as a “Change Runner” to raise resources for the education of underprivileged children. Blackrock India and Amtek Auto Limited joined Smile Foundation in championing the cause of Child Education at the marathon.
Their association will also ensure quality education for 130 underprivileged children, through Smile Foundation’s Mission Education programme.
The over fifty member strong Smile team including volunteers and employees from Blackrock and Amtek ran for 6kms. as part of the Great Delhi Run, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi.
Art show to empower girl children
Smile Foundation hosted “Art and Smile”, a contemporary art show at the Bangalore Club. The show was an evening of seminal awakenings with curated affordable art aimed at empowering girl children by raising funds for their education.
Contemporary artists from across the country came forward and donated their artworks to help raise funds for girl child education. The show was held exclusively for Bangalore Club Members, who showed overwhelming support on the occasion.
Recognition as Best NGO (Skill Development) by ASSOCHAM
ASSOCHAM has recognized Smile Foundation with ‘Outstanding Contribution and Certificate of Merit in Best NGO (Skill Development)’ for 2014-15.
The award was conferred at ASSOCHAM’s Summit-cum-Awards on Skilling India, organized on the theme ‘Realigning Skilling towards Make in India’. Dignitaries and eminent panelists including Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; Shri Bandaru Dattatreya, Minister of State for Labour and Employment; Shri Giriraj Singh, Minister of State for Micro. Small & Medium Enterprises; and Prof. S. Parasuraman, Director, Tata Institute of Social Science, were present during the occasion.
This is an appreciation with specific reference to the Smile Twin e-Learning Programme (STeP), a national level livelihood programme that trains urban underprivileged youth with market-oriented job skills, making them employed in retail and service sectors across India. So far, more than 16,000 youth have been trained and 11,500 have been placed under STeP.
Smile children become RJ’s on Fever 104 FM
Smile Foundation children from Mission Education centres in Delhi and Bengaluru got an opportunity to be On-Air the whole day on Fever 104 FM, for Children’s Day. They shared stories, poems, their own experiences, and also tried their hand at being RJs.
While the children had a ball of a time, the RJs who were very cooperative, equally enjoyed the fun time. The exposure not only boosted the confidence of the children, but also helped them voice their thoughts and opinions on a public platform. The children and the RJs from Fever 104 FM together spread awareness on the importance of child education.
Shikhar Dhawan spends time with Smile kids
Father of two daughters, batsman Shikhar Dhawan has joined hands with Smile Foundation and Michelin starred Chef Vikas Khanna for ‘Nutrition for Education’ – Smile Foundation’s campaign to ensure nutrition and education for children across the country.
He invited Smile kids to his residence in Delhi, along with Chef Vikas. Interacting with them in length, Shikhar shared his experience and journey with the children, encouraging them to believe in their dreams.
“I would like to congratulate Smile Foundation and Chef Vikas for designing this campaign which gives people from all walks of life a chance to come forward and support a very fundamental cause. I believe a balanced and proper diet for children is extremely necessary for them to lead a healthy and good life. I am proud to be associated with the ‘Nutrition for Education’ campaign and will always contribute whole heartedly towards the same”, said Shikhar Dhawan, Indian Cricket Team.
FIS supports education of children and youth
FIS, the world’s largest global provider dedicated to banking and payments technologies, has joined hands with Smile Foundation to support education of underprivileged children and livelihood training for marginalized youth, under its CSR programme in India.
Under the partnership, eight new Smile Twin e-Learning Programme (STeP) centres and five new Mission Education centres are being introduced in Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Gurgaon and Chandigarh. Welcoming Santas from FIS on Christmas, children and teachers from the centres celebrated the launch of the partnership through a multi-city event at all five locations.
The initiative will be supporting as many as 3750 children and 2250 youth.
Mamta Wasan Senior Vice President, Human Resources, FIS India, said, “We are delighted to work with Smile Foundation on an issue of paramount importance to the country – Education. This is a long journey and FIS in its small way hopes to make a big contribution financially as well as through our employees’ time.”
Corporate in Bengaluru say Howzatt for a Cause
A unique Inter-Corporate Charity Cricket tournament, titled ‘Howzzat for a Cause-2015’, was organized in Bengaluru, encouraging corporate houses to play for a cause. 24 teams played the tournament and raised support for the education of 250 children under Smile Foundation’s Mission Education programme.
The participating corporate teams were AXA Business Service, Alcatel –Lucent, Wafer Space, ANZ, Philips, Wipro, Aon, Robert Bosch, Verse Innovation, Landstar, NTT Data, Copal Amba, Anabatics Technologies, DGS Technical services, Mu-Sigma, Cenduit and GKN Aerospace.
Howzatt for a Cause-2015 was made possible with the support of our partners, Landstar and Bet on India.
Landstar is a new source for world class plotted developments in Bangalore, bringing a new level of professionalism and quality to plotted development. Designed for
the new generation of urban dwellers, all Landstar developments combine the conveniences and comforts of modern living with secure, private and personal spaces.
Bet on India is a Bangalore based technology product Incubator/Angel fund with an emphasis on products relevant to India. It is a Foundation that supports Indian social service organizations and initiatives.
Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon 2015
The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (SCMM) 2015 got over within a few hours but its life altering impact continues to reverberate in the improved lives of hundreds of children, long after the event. Smile Foundation, like every year, participated in the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon.
Corporate including Life Insurance Corporation of India, Archana Kochhar, State Bank of India, Crown Worldwide Group, CLP India, Abbott, Capri Global Capital Limited, and SBI Life Insurance participated and ran for Smile Foundation to support the cause of education for all. The support will help 1000 children across India continue their education under the Mission Education programme.
The SCMM is an opportunity for NGOs to not only build their resource mobilization capacity but also more importantly an opportunity to build and nurture relationships with their supporters. Every year around 38,000 runners take part in the event in various categories.
Employees of supporting corporate along with students from Smile Foundation’s Smile Twin e-Learning Programme (STeP) participated in the Marathon and campaigned for the cause of children and youth empowerment through education.
At Smile Foundation’s “Cheering Zone”, young volunteers and college students were in full swing and performed a mesmerizing flash mob to cheer all the supporting corporate.
IITians launch Mashāl in support of Smile Foundation
As hosts of the Golden Jubilee Inter IIT Sports Meet, IIT Bombay launched Mashāl, the first ever pan IIT social initiative. Smile Foundation has been chosen as the cause partner and the initiative will be spread across all 16 IITs with the objective of promoting and supporting education of underprivileged children under Smile Foundation’s Mission Education programme.
Incidentally, this is the first ever occasion that brings all 16 IITs together in support of a social cause. A series of subsequent marathons has been scheduled in the other IITs, where participants will run for Smile Foundation and the cause of child education.
During the inaugural run at IIT Bombay, the student fraternity showed great excitement and eagerness, with over 1000 students participating in the mini-marathon.
Asmit Jain, Events Head of the Student Organizing Committee, said, “Mashāl started off as an idea to unite the IITs towards one noble purpose, and with the help of Smile Foundation we are now seeing it materialize on a scale we hadn’t expected before.”
Pankaj Advani for Girl Child Education
1 0-time World Billiards and Snooker Champion Pankaj Advani celebrated International Day of the Girl Child with Smile Foundation at the Karnataka State Billiards Association. Pankaj also supported the education of 12 girl children for a year.
Pankaj Advani has been awarded with the Arjuna Award in 2004, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna in 2006 and the Padma Shri in 2009.
“Women play a very important role in our society, in our lives. On this special day, I would like to stand up for the cause of education of girl children. These young girls will be women tomorrow; mothers, and unless they are educated, the future generations cannot be empowered. Smile Foundation has been doing really good work for the girl child. I am supporting their initiative and request all of you to join me”, said Pankaj.
Smile children meet the President of India at Rashtrapati Bhavan
The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee blessed Smile Foundation children on the occasion of Children’s Day at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
“I used to walk five kilometres to go to my school while I was growing up in my village. I was wading through water when it used to rain. My mother told me that it’s my duty to go to school regularly,” recalled the President while inspiring the children.
The President also asked the children to maintain cleanliness in their daily life, in their surroundings as well as in school. “You might have also to ask your parents to make it a habit if needed.”
Further encouraging the children, he said, “One day one of you will grow up and occupy this building (Rashtrapati Bhavan), as we are a democracy.”
The children were left delighted and highly motivated after the Presidents’ address.
NGO Leadership & Excellence Award 2015
Smile Foundation has been conferred with the ‘NGO Leadership & Excellence Award 2015.’
The awards are endorsed by World CSR Day & World Federation of CSR Professionals. The award to Smile Foundation consists of a Statuette and a ‘Certificate to recognize the valuable contribution made by the organisation’.
Global CSR Excellence & Leadership Awards, presented by ABP News, is an independent reward recognition exercise initiated to give due credit to those who are writing the script of Corporate Social Responsibility. In its second year, these awards attempt to be the nation’s biggest and most credible CSR awards. The awards recognize Organizations, Individuals and Best practices in Corporate Social Responsibility. The awards are research based and decided by an Independent Jury.
Mr. Suryakant Narvekar, Regional Head – West (CFC) and Mr. Someshwar Nair, Manager CFC, represented Smile Foundation and received the Awards at the Taj Lands End, Mumbai.
Chef Vikas launches Magic Rolling Pin to support 'Nutrition for Education'
Michelin starred celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna is launching a 5 year programme of ‘One Book, One year, One dream’ – a book every year for the next 5 years on Children’s Day. A substantial part of the proceeds both, from the sales of his books as well as his royalty fees will go towards supporting Smile Foundation’s Nutrition for Education campaign.
The first book in the series, The Magic Rolling Pin, had a multi-city launch in Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Bengaluru, this Children’s Day.
While Chef Vikas has written 16 books till now, with the launching of The Magic Rolling Pin by Puffins, division of Penguin Books, he has become the first Chef in the world to have been commissioned to write stories for children. His being an inspirational journey full of hardships from Amritsar to New York, the core thought of the book is a page out of his life – “Follow your Heart”.
This initiative is a big step towards raising awareness and support for the Nutrition for Education campaign, which aims at providing nutrition to marginalized children across India and help them get better education.
Hublot and Harbhajan Singh support Mission Education
Luxury watch brand Hublot joined hands with Smile Foundation to support the education of disadvantaged children under the Mission Education programme. In an event to mark the cheque handover ceremony, Hublot’s ambassador cricketer Harbhajan Singh met children from Smile Foundation at a mall in Gurgaon.
The kids had a great time and learnt some game secrets from Harbhajan, besides getting personally autographed cricket balls. Harbhajan interacted with the children and encouraged them to study hard and play harder.
Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, symbolically handed over the cheque to the children and Vikram Singh Verma, Chief Operating Officer, Smile Foundation.
The 7th edition of Ramp for Champs, Smile Foundation’s charity fashion initiative, was organized at Hotel Renaissance in Powai, Mumbai. With a special focus on education for the girl child, the event supported the education of 1000 girl children from across India, under the Mission Education programme.
Star designers Archana Kochhar and Preety’s Designer Hut extended their support to the cause by showcasing their special collections with their muses – 50 achievers and personalities from all walks of life.
Archana’s power list included the likes of Huma Qureshi, Krishika Lulla, Urvashi Sharma, Dimple Nahar, Shobha Lakhani, Ragini Khanna, Manara Handa, Rashmi Desai, Nazneen Patel, Surbhi Jyoti, Aishwarya Sakhuja, Nataliya Konzenhva, Teejay Sidhu, Tia Bajpai, Ekta Kaul, Harshali Zine, Poornima, Bhoomi Trivedi, Rajneesh Duggal, Chef Vikas Khanna, Mukesh Chabbra, Karan Tacker, Karan Veer Vohra, Ameet Sareen, Divya Kumar, Gaurav Sethi and Sahil Anand.
Preety’s muses for the show were Tapsee Pannu, VJ Andy, Bhumi Chawda, Anjali Ahuja, Tina Chopra, Charmi Shah, Chahat Khanna, Chanchal Jain, Kavita Paudwal, Rinku Dudani, Shibani Kashyap, Jharna Savla, Bobby Khan, Tina Dutta, Simple Kaur, Shraddha, Evelyn Sharma and Mahaakshay Chakraborty.
The event also featured special performances by singers Abhiruchi Singh, Divya Kumar and Kavita Paudwal.
This edition of RFC was presented by the LIC of India, with Copper Stone as the Co-Partner. Other valuable partners were Nerolac, Colors, Big Brother Foundation, The Renaissance Hotel, Truefitt & Hills, Proton Communications, Chandrakala Sanap, Photographer Gaurav Sethi, Stardust Magazine and Moryaas Multimedia Pvt. Ltd.
