Jagdish Joshi, Mahesh Bhatt
Providing
free and compulsory education to all children is a goal that is enshrined in
the Indian Constitution as a Fundamental Right. Sustainable development cannot
be considered as the responsibility of government only. There are many NGOs and
corporates who make incessant efforts in providing smile on the faces of
disadvantaged people. The paper focuses on the case study of SMILE foundation-
a group of young corporate professionals who work with grassroots initiatives
for achieving positive changes in the lives of underprivileged children, their
families and communities.
Education is both the means as well as the end to a
better life: it empowers an individual to earn his/her livelihood and it
increases one's awareness on a range of issues - from healthcare to appropriate
social behaviour to understanding one's rights - and in the process help
him/her evolve as a better citizen. Adoption of Right of Children to Free and
Compulsory Education Act (RTE), 2009 has given further impetus to the national
efforts for ensuring quality education for all in a time- bound manner. SMILE
works as a catalyst in bringing sustainable change in the lives of needy
children. They empower underprivileged children, youth and women through relevant
education, innovative healthcare and market-focused livelihood programs. SMILE
adopts
highest standards of governance to achieve social return on investment. SMILE Foundation has
evolved two working models namely, Social Venture Philanthropy (SVP) and
Outreach. Through SMILE more than 400,000 underprivileged children
and families are benefitted every year, 200 projects have been implemented so
far covering 950 villages in various states of India. They have been acclaimed
with many awards.
The paper attempts to examine various strategies,
projects and models implemented by
SMILE to attain the concept of connectedness for the deprived people.
SMILE,
disadvantaged, inclusiveness, sustainable development.
VOL.14, ISSUE No.1, March 2022