Smile Foundation

We are proud to see Aditi Kadam, a Smile Foundation engineering scholar from Pune, represent her institution at Regional Industry Summit, where she spent a day engaging with CEOs, founders, and industry leaders from India and abroad. Aditi comes from a simple home in Yeola, a small village in Nashik. Her father is a farmer and her mother is a homemaker. Yet, she has never allowed her circumstances to limit the size of her dreams. Among the toppers throughout her academic journey, Aditi holds a CGPA of 9.36 and continues to grow beyond the classroom. She has worked on a patent-based project using real-world data, published a research paper on her very first attempt, and completed a three-month research internship with strong feedback. Through Smile Foundation’s scholarship programme, we are humbled to be part of the journeys of young women like Aditi, as they continue to learn, grow, and move closer to the futures they are working so hard to build. #SheCanFly

Learning gaps don’t start in classrooms. But they must end there. At Smile Foundation’s remedial education centre in Delhi, supported by UnitedLex, children are working to close foundational gaps in literacy and numeracy that often build up over time. The focus is on steady, structured learning with teacher support, enabling each child to progress at their own pace. Alongside academics, the centre also addresses health, hygiene, and nutrition, recognising how closely these are linked to a child’s ability to learn and stay in school. Thank you, UnitedLex, for supporting this effort to bring children back on track. #ShikshaNaRuke

Every skill learned is a step closer to opportunity. Through its livelihood training initiatives, Smile Foundation is helping individuals build practical skills for income generation. The programme focuses on areas such as tailoring, retail and basic digital skills, aligned with local market needs. Participants receive structured training, guidance and exposure to opportunities that support employment or self-work. #TayyariKalKi

We thank the Athenahealth team for joining us in taking essential health services closer to the elders and children of the KR Puram railway station community in Bengaluru. Through our longstanding partnership, Athenahealth volunteers have continued to stand with Smile Foundation in reaching communities with care, dignity and compassion. From health check-ups and eye screenings to reading glasses support and cataract referrals, every effort helped people take one step closer to better health. We are grateful to the Athenahealth team for their time, warmth and continued belief in this shared purpose. #HealthCannotWait

“I want to join the Indian Army… My father is a daily laborer in Sambalpur, working to provide for our family. My elder brother is studying Arts in his first year of college, and my mother is bravely fighting a tumor. Every day, I see their struggles and it fuels my determination to create a better future for us. I am studying at Smile Foundation's Mission Education Centre. Balancing studies with household responsibilities isn’t easy, but I know the importance of education. It’s my strength, my hope and my way forward. Every time I open a book, I remind myself: this is for my family, for my dreams and for the life I want to build. I want to serve the nation and make my parents proud.” Chandni Chandni studies in Class 9 at Smile Foundation’s Mission Education Centre in Sambalpur, Odisha. #ShikshaNaRuke #MissionEducation #EducationForAll

Awareness alone is not enough. Access completes the gap. Smile Foundation conducted a menstrual hygiene and health session at a government girls’ school in Ghaziabad as part of its women empowerment programme. As part of the intervention, blood tests were conducted to support early identification of anaemia. The session covered menstrual hygiene, personal care, symptoms of anaemia and available treatment options. An assessment was also conducted to reinforce key learnings. Screening findings indicated the presence of moderate and severe anaemia among participants, underlining the need for timely intervention, treatment, and consistent follow-up. Such efforts continue to address gaps in awareness and early detection, aligned with initiatives like Anemia Mukt Bharat, where regular screening remains critical. #Swabhiman

The issues are real. The stage just makes them visible. A street play was conducted in Kasna, Greater Noida focusing on child nutrition under the Swabhiman programme. Through scenes drawn from everyday life, the performance showed common practices around feeding young children and where gaps often remain. It touched upon meal frequency, lack of dietary diversity, and delays in introducing complementary food after six months. Alongside this, it demonstrated simple, practical ways to improve a child’s diet using familiar, home-based foods. The format allowed people to stop, watch and follow the message easily. Under the Women Empowerment programme, such initiatives work closely with women in the community, building their understanding of health, nutrition and childcare practices, so that informed decisions become part of everyday life. #Swabhiman

Making dairy products was always part of their lives. Income was not. That shift is slowly becoming visible through Smile Foundation’s Entrepreneurship Development Programme for women. With training, collective effort, and consistent handholding, these women are learning to turn their experience in making dairy products into livelihood opportunities. Improved quality, regular production, and better market access are helping them earn with greater confidence and stability. #WomenEntrepreneurs #Swabhiman

Smiles begin with good health. Families, primarily farmers from some of the remotest villages in Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu, receive free healthcare services right at their doorsteps through Smile Foundation’s Smile on Wheels programme. Working as daily wage earners and marginal farmers, these villagers toil relentlessly to feed their families, often neglecting their own health needs. The Smile on Wheels project reaches remote villages in the district with essential health services, including OPD consultations, diagnostic support, medicine distribution, and referral services. In addition, health counselling and awareness sessions on various preventable diseases are regularly conducted for families. #HealthCannotWait

Consistent healthcare access is making health part of everyday life in Vikarabad, Telangana Smile on Wheels with the support of PRIF (Pernod Ricard India Foundation) continues to deliver essential healthcare services within the community. Regular check ups, doctor consultations, and awareness on preventive care and hygiene are making health a more familiar part of daily life. A steady presence means people seek care earlier, follow advice, and pay closer attention to their health. #HealthCannotWait

Across underserved communities of Bangalore, limited access to skills training and employment opportunities often leaves youth with few options for stable income. Smile Foundation addresses this gap through its livelihood training initiative, designed to connect learning with real job pathways and practical skills. Each session is led by trainers with industry experience, who focus on practical learning, communication, and workplace readiness. The program offers training in retail operations, tailoring, basic computer applications, and customer service. Students also receive lessons in communication, digital literacy and workplace behaviour. Sessions are practical, with role plays, tool-based learning and task-based exercises that reflect real work environments. Trainers with industry knowledge guide students through each module, helping them understand both skills and expectations at the workplace. #TayyariKalKi #LivelihoodTraining

“I teach all subjects, but what stays with me are the children and the moments we share every day. For me, teaching is not limited to books. I try to make every lesson simple and connected to their daily lives, so they can understand and remember. Sometimes we learn through stories, sometimes through questions and sometimes just by talking and listening to each other. Every child walks in with something on their mind, sometimes a question, sometimes a worry, sometimes silence. I try to notice these moments and understand what they feel. When a child who once stayed quiet starts sharing, or when they try again after struggling with a lesson, it stays with me. My own journey has taught me that everyone carries something unseen. That is why I sit with my students in their moments of doubt and remind them to keep going at their own pace. In my classroom, I try to build a space where they feel safe and heard. Their small steps and their belief in themselves mean everything to me.” Babita Teacher Smile Foundation’s Education Centre, Gurugram #MissionEducation #ShikshaNaRuke #TeacherExperience

Access to healthcare and livelihood opportunities plays an important role in women’s well-being and financial stability. Smile Foundation, with support from M&G, implemented a women empowerment programme in Khed Taluka, Pune, focused on Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) and Entrepreneurship Development (ED). The programme strengthened awareness on maternal and child health while also equipping women with livelihood skills and support for small enterprises, building both their health security and financial independence. We thank M&G for their support in strengthening healthcare access and enabling sustainable livelihood opportunities for women. #Swabhiman

A woman entrepreneur is born when ability meets support and self-belief. At Smile Foundation, the effort is to stand with women as they turn their existing abilities into stronger livelihood opportunities. In rural Bengaluru, women already engaged in tailoring are strengthening their work through embroidery and handwork skills such as chain stitch, mirror work, zari work, satin stitch and appliqué. Along with this, they are also learning how to price their work, manage customers, take customised orders, and run a small business with greater confidence. In Pics: Ms. Sarita Pradhan, Head, Smile Foundation's Women Empowerment Programme, Ms. Archana Kore, Regional Manager, Sustainable Development Team, and other team members spent time with the women to congratulate them, encourage them, and recognise their progress. #WomenEntrepreneurs #Swabhiman

Heartiest congratulations to Pragathi on securing first place at the Cisco NextGen Systems League - a national platform that tests knowledge in systems engineering, networking, and embedded systems. A recipient of Smile Foundation’s engineering scholarship from Bengaluru, Pragathi comes from a simple home. Her father works in a powerloom factory. Her mother is a homemaker. But Pragathi has never allowed her circumstances to define the size of her dreams. A topper throughout her academic journey, she has kept building her skills with consistency - from IoT training to hands-on learning, and even securing first position at an image processing workshop. Through Smile Foundation’s scholarship programme, thousands of young women like Pragathi are not just entering spaces of excellence. They are leading in them. #SheCanFly

Along Chennai’s coast, fishermen spend long hours at sea, often facing skin diseases due to sun and seawater exposure. Through Smile Foundation's Smile on Wheels initiative, we take primary healthcare to their doorstep with check-ups, treatment and awareness. With timely care, we work to reduce health risks and support communities in continuing their livelihoods. #SmileOnWheels #HealthCannotWait

Healthcare access isn’t only about distance. It’s about reaching people where they are. For many families in Pune, care often begins late when it becomes unavoidable. Primary healthcare is not something people turn to early but something they reach for in urgency. Small symptoms are often overlooked and routine check-ups are rare. With support from Athenahealth, Smile Foundation’s Smile on Wheels is helping change this. Early screenings can prevent conditions that often go untreated for years influencing both outcomes and everyday health-seeking behaviour. #HealthCannotWait

For 13 years, Smile Foundation has been a place where work has never felt like just work. It has been a journey of purpose, learning, and service. I have seen how education can give a child hope. How healthcare can bring relief to a family. How one opportunity can help a woman believe in herself again. These moments have stayed with me and shaped the person I have become. Smile has taught me that real impact is built with patience, commitment, and compassion. It has given me the space to grow, the strength to face challenges, and the privilege to be part of something larger than myself. When I look back, I feel grateful for every year, every lesson, and every life this journey has brought me close to. To grow with a cause is a blessing. To serve with Smile has been one of mine. Joieta Rajput Sustainable Development Team Smile Foundation #Smilians #EmployeeSpeak #GreatPlaceToWork

Every unemployed youth is also untapped potential. Across underserved communities in Mumbai, where access to formal employment pathways remains limited, Smile Foundation’s livelihood training initiative is enabling the youth to build market-relevant skills and connect with income opportunities. The programme operates through training centres located close to these communities, ensuring access and continuity. It offers structured courses in retail operations, hospitality services, tailoring, basic computer applications and spoken English. The curriculum is aligned with current industry requirements and integrates technical training with workplace readiness modules such as communication, digital literacy, financial awareness and interview preparation. Trainers are equipped with sector experience and follow a standardized training approach that combines classroom instruction with practical exposure. Learners are introduced to real work scenarios, enabling them to understand role expectations, customer interaction and basic problem-solving in professional settings. Regular assessments and counselling sessions support individual progress, goal-setting and retention throughout the training cycle. #TayyariKalKi #LivelihoodTraining

What happens when a rural woman becomes an entrepreneur? Usha had a gift in her hands. She knew how to make traditional masala powders with care, taste, and consistency. But like many women, she never saw this skill as a business opportunity. It was simply something she knew, something she did from home. When Usha came in touch with the Smile Foundation team, a new thought began to grow - what if this skill could become a source of income, independence, and opportunity? Through Smile Foundation's Entrepreneurship Development Program, she learned how to build and manage a business. She then brought other women together and formed a Self-Help Group, choosing to grow not alone, but with others. With support under the Smile initiative, the group improved production, introduced proper packaging and branding, secured an FSSAI license, and expanded from 2 to 6 masala products. Today, their brand "SUVS Enterprise" receives daily orders and supplies local markets and supermarkets. What Usha once saw as routine work has now become strength for many homes. #WomenEntrepreneurs #Swabhiman #SmileFoundation