As part of its effort to equip the girl child to face the challenges and complexities of modern times, Smile Foundation, under its Swabhiman programme has organised a day long learning workshop at Mumbai University for 40 scholar girls from marginalized background to help them explore themselves holistically and shape their own life.
To make these girls self-aware, confident and make relevant choices in life; interactive and self-exploration workshops were conducted to empower them with various life skills. The workshop also laid emphasis on financial literacy and adolescent reproductive and sexual health awareness among girls. They were helped by experts from various fields to develop their personality, interpersonal relationships and studies. Girls were also educated about various career avenues and job opportunities available for them.
Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Santanu Mishra, Co-founder & Executive Trustee, Smile Foundation said “In India, the girl child is usually deprived of basic rights and education which is evident from the high drop-out rates. This workshop is a platform through which Smile foundation wants to continue the conversation, helping girl children realize their real potential and defeat the societal norms. Through this initiative we aim to empower and inspire the younger girls to develop a road map for the future and make them self-aware, confident, take full charge of their own development and become role models for their peers.”
Smile Foundation’s Swabhiman scholarship programme helps academically bright girls, studying in schools and colleges continue their education several . It aims at imparting practical skills and information to these young scholars, enabling them to explore their potentials and establish a positive self-image and develop better career perspective. The team also engages with the parents/ guardians of the girl children to support an attitudinal shift in their mind-set. Such efforts also help is bringing down the high drop-out rates among girls which is quite high during school to higher education lift.
Such a programme is expected to bring about change in the overall personality of the girls in terms of confidence-building; strengthened ability to manage studies efficiently; effective communication skills and independence to take personal and professional decisions in life. These forty girls are force multipliers who will create impact in the society, inspiring many more in their respective communities.
About Smile Foundation:
Smile Foundation is a national level development organisation reaching out to more than 600,000 underprivileged children, youth and women directly every year through more than 250 welfare projects on subjects such as education, healthcare, youth employability, and women empowerment across 25 states of India. Adopting a life cycle approach of development, Smile Foundation focuses its interventions on children, their families and the community.
Website – www.smilefoundationindia.org
