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Volunteer Testimonials

Aanchal Kakkar

“My internship with SMILE FOUNDATION was immensely satisfying. I am currently pursuing masters in technology and have always been interested in technology and research. So, working with the weaker section of society was a new learning experience and felt very rewarding.
India has grown leaps and bounds since its independence but where education is concerned, the gap between women and men is severe. I believe that with its “Swabhiman” project for women and child development Smile is helping fill this gap.
Doing field work, performing group discussion with women and children in the associated areas, having face to face conversation seeing their confidence has proved that “Swabhiman” is the opening the doors of opportunities for many women and children.”


Blessy Mariam Sunny

“My one month internship with smile foundation was indeed very satisfying and enriching one. I am currently doing Law and the reason behind perusing this Internship was to reach out to those people who are in need of help. I would like to Thank smile foundation for giving me this opportunity. It was pleasure working with the Individual Partnership department, where you call up firms, make them understand about our project and ask them to come forward and support the cause. In Order to run an NGO and to make sure that these underprivileged children are getting a better life, one need to have proper funds and IP department took care of it. I was highly privileged to work with IP team , they made me understand and told me how the smile foundation works , they also helped and guided me when ever needed , they created very peaceful , co-operative environment where one can easily work . Though I would always crib as this Internship required 2 hours of travelling every day, the experience was worth it as it really inspires me to give back to the society. As the word Umeed lives up to its name. It gives one the hope that things can be changed and will change. ”


Elias Sam James

“I had a great privilege to work with the Smile Twin e-Learning Program (STeP) of Smile Foundation as an intern. It was an enriching experience to work with Smile Foundation. The STeP team with whom I was working was amazing. The internship gave me a wonderful exposure as to how an NGO works and how various projects are implemented and how they are monitored. While working with STeP I was able to learn many things like how to make case studies, donor reports, data Sheets etc. Also I was able to take personality development classes at various centers where STeP training program was offered and was able to interact with the students at the centre.

During my internship I was able to understand how work is coordinated professionally. I would also like to thank Mr. Tony and Mr. Prashant who were instrumental in molding me during the internship at Smile. It was a joy to work with them and they inspired me to do my best at work. ”


Mukund Rawat

During one month of my internship with Smile Foundation, Delhi. I was inspired by the organization efforts and its success. I was especially impressed by the impulse compassion of the staff members and their dedication to create a social change. With the limited resources they are helping the masses. Benefitting over 3, 00,000 children and their families. Today, 8 million children in India are out of school and are surrounded by illness, poverty and despair; they are fighting a daily battle for their survival. Smile foundation is not only helping the children in coming out of poverty and illness but through its Mission Education program it is providing the FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT- RIGHT TO EDUCATION to the underprivileged children.

During my internship, I gain insights of the lives of underprivileged children, their families and communities. In 2002 Smile Foundation was set up to work with grassroots initiatives for effecting positive changes in the lives of underprivileged children. My project responsibility of the internship was mainly concerned with the report making for the donors. Throughout my internship I helped in colligating various reports, making snapshots of the reports.

However, the significance of the Mission Education and the organization successes were most evident to me when I had the opportunity to interact with the underprivileged children. These various interactions helped me to gain insight into the tragic challenges that are faced by our society.

To be associated with Smile Foundation as a volunteer was akin to returning a favor to society in a positive manner. The complete experience was stimulating and enriching. The initiative by Smile Foundation is just a milestone there is a long way to go. Together we can bring change and make it last.


Amandeep Singh

My internship with Smile Foundation has been an enriching and wonderful experience. It was great to work for a month in the IT Department of the organization and it has certainly enhanced my knowledge not only in my field of work but also a broader perspective of the noble work that the organization does for the underprivileged sections of the society. It was immensely satisfying for me to work and develop software programs and web pages for the organization and as an engineering student to intern here wasa great development for my personal growth. It was my pleasure to contribute whatever little I could do for this noble deed. The ambience at Smile Foundation was very friendly and the people here were very helpful and cooperative. I truly felt being a part of the Smile family and I thank Smile for the wonderful opportunity it provided me.


Yamini Rawat

My internship with Smile Foundation has been an extremely enriching experiencing. I worked as an intern under the programme department for "Mission Education" for a month. I gained an immensely satisfying experience, be it regarding the documentation, following-up with the partners over programmatic requirements or preparation of project reports. I was highly privileged to have visited a Mission Education centre in Satyaniketan on the very first day of my internship, where the children were preparing for an event and I helped supervise their preparations. All the employees have been very encouraging and supportive throughout the course of my internship. They taught me about the ME programme and how it educates and empowers the children of the weaker sections of society. It was a life-changing experience and will be of great help to me in my coming years.


Aishwarya Sinha

Interning at Smile foundation has been an enriching experience for me. I was genuinely impressedby the organizational structure of Smile foundation which is a perfect combination of an NGO working in a corporate way.The dedication and commitment of people working here towards the visions and missions of this foundation is overwhelmingly amazing.

During the internship, I everyday learnt something new from my colleagues here. Being a part of the Corporate Partnership team/department, I have gained exposure to the research and marketing world and developed invaluable skills which will definitely help me in my future endeavors. My supervisors were extremely encouraging and supportive,continuously guiding me in the right direction. I really appreciate their help and thoughtfulness.

Working at Smile has been a great learning curve for me through whichnot only I have gained a deeper insight into the functioning of charitable organizations,but also that of the corporate world.I truly felt like a part of the Smile community and I was by all means treated like one. This entire journey has been extremely enlightening and enjoyable for me.


Hansa Mehrotra

Working with smile foundation was one of its own experience. I was assigned the responsibility of providing managerial assistance to the Individual Partnership Department of Smile Foundation. During this volunteer-ship I realized the amount of effort that is being put into for bringing that innocent smile on the faces of underprivileged children and indeed felt pride of myself being a part. Arranging appointments, conducting events and dealing with a plethora of individuals and corporates , the organization provided me a platform of not only immense learning but also contributing towards the society and fulfilling the responsibility which each individual should.

It was an enriching experience and I am grateful to Smile Foundation and the department I worked in for giving me this opportunity.


Divya Batra

Smile Foundation India My stay at Smile Foundation It was a month and a half fruitful experience at Smile Foundation. In these days I worked with the STeP department. The internship was meant to be an experience to sensitize us towards the community and its problems. And rightly so, the organization gave me an insight into the community life and the hardships faced by them. In the course I realized that there are things which we take for granted but are so important for people. When we visited the field we realized how important it is to value what we have. The community taught us that. Teaching them what we knew brought us closer to the community. The organization also gave us insight in its completely professional ways of functioning.

The internship hence was a mix of experiencing the corporate set up and professional ways of work along with sensitizing us towards the community at large. Hence I had a fruitful journey at Smile.


Ishita Agrawal

Working with SMILE was a very satisfying and definitely an enriching experience. I was involved with the STeP programme. I got the opportunity to learn and explore new things under the mentorship of my supervisors Anthony Sir, Tony Sir and Prashant Sir. They have always motivated me to give in my best and strive till I achieve my goals.

The work culture at SMILE was extremely conducive . Everybody was warm and very helpful, it was a delight to work in such a set up.

The Programme was a very big eye opener for me. I had a tryst with reality while working with this programme. The students who came to study provided me with a whole lot of learning which I am going to cherish throughout my life. They had a deficiency of resources however this did not pull them down in any manner. They had the zeal and the determination to do something in life which was very inspiring.

Both at a personal and professional level , interning at SMILE was a huge value addition. At a professional level, there were many soft skills that I learnt myself. The importance of time management was an important learning. The amount of time given to us for a particular task was finite and thus I had to present the assigned work within the stipulated time and meet the deadline. Proper utilization of time, listing done the tasks at hand and further breaking it into smaller components to exactly understand how one is suppose to go about it and finally executing the task.

On a personal front I have become more disciplined, committed, and sincere towards my work. I have learnt how to extract the best out of myself and also out of people around me. It has taught me to work under pressure and deadlines. It has taught me the way I am suppose to conduct myself in a corporate set up which is an integral part of my grooming. I would like to thank SMILE Foundation and most importantly my Supervisors for providing me with this wonderful chance to learn. I have had many memories which I have had with SMILE Foundation and I am always going to cherish it.


Nguvito Awomi

Smile Foundation gave me the platform to experience and understands my society more deeply and broadly. It has enabled me to implement my own thoughts and abilities by giving me freedom. Smile Foundation has practically taught me to serve for the cause of humanity and especially for the cause of the weaker sections. It has also taught me the effective functioning of administration.

Smile Foundation undoubtedly gives similes to thousands of gloomy faces. Many lives have been benefited through various programs. Still many are looking up to Smile Foundation for support. The initiative taken by Smile Foundation translates the brighter sight of Indian society.

I want to thank the Smile Foundation family and especially Ms. Jossy D. Cherian and Mr. Prateek Negi for their constant guidance and support throughout my internship i.e. 21st May to 23rd June.


Paridhi Jindal

Working at Smile Foundation has been a memorable experience. One can see that the work carried out here actually percolates to the grass-root levels and spreads ever-lasting smiles by nurturing, educating and empowering large sections of the society. It is a highly organized progressive institution. The working environment is excellent, and the people are really warm and friendly. In the short span of the internship, I was made to feel like an integral part of the Smile family. All my supervisors were very supportive who guided all my endeavors. I learnt a lot from all my experiences here and have made long-lasting associations. Indeed, to spread smiles is to gift the biggest of boons.


Pragati Verma

Volunteering with Smile foundation in Individual Partnership department was a great way to learn more about the incredible social help that Smile people do every day. It is a wonderful way to bring awareness in the mind of people, about social issues. Here, under the supervision of my head, I learned ample of vital things. Foundation trained me to do research work in more professional pattern. This internship gave me a closer picture of the administrative management of an NGO like Smile Foundation, which is national level social organization. In all other previous internships, and volunteering programs I was involved with the field services. Thus taking this factor into consideration the engagement with the foundation facilitated me to understand the importance of fund raising and that too with sophisticated approach. With each call that I made, to associations, small enterprises or other organizations I learned the importance of the usage of appropriate word and voice modulation; which can swing the mood of the listener.

Experience in Smile made me more professional. It trained me to do systematic data collection and provide managerial assistance to the department. The transparency about the accountability of the foundation provided me extra vigor to make next call after every negative response. Indeed interning in smile foundation is an elite way for individuals to make national level social development.


Shraddha Upadhyay

"It was an overall great experience working with Smile Foundation. As a student I got to learn the skills of working together with different people and learnt even leadership skills. Looking at the poor and needy and the way this organization has been helping them helped me to sensitize with them. Thank you for this great opportunity."


Akanksha Mishra

"My internship with SMILE FOUNDATION was immensely satisfying. Smile Foundation provides a very warm and conducive environment to work. My experience at Smile has enhanced my knowledge and understanding of the philanthropic world. Overall I gained much knowledge about the subject and more importantly, I was able to connect with various sections of our society and gained a broader perspective. Thank you for this great opportunity."


Isha Kohli

HR Intern

"There were many a prejudices that I had with the word NGO – an organization driven by passion for few, money for most. But this one month internship with Smile Foundation was a great learning experience and many a misconceptions were broken. It’s good to know that there are NGO’s which not only believe in social development but sustainable social development by partnering with other NGO’s. The professionalism co-exists with passion in Smile and that is something I really admire. Apart from this the interaction with the employees has been very enriching both personally and professionally. There was a sense of pride in employees regarding their jobs and how it impacted the society as whole. The work culture at Smile Foundation is that of collaboration. A lot of stress is laid on interactions/ communication all the time. Apart from that, one can approach any one any time for help or assistance. The highlight of the internship period were the community visits, which I wish could have been more, and it has had a great impact on my thinking. The positive attitude and zesty nature of the people has inspired me. In all the adversities there was courage to take on life no matter what. It made me thankful for what I have. To sum it all up Smile Foundation is a great place to work, and I will cherish every moment I spent there. "


Bhavna Moryani

HR Intern

"My internship with Smile Foundation has been a very enriching experience for me. It has not only showed me how an NGO can function like a corporate but also how, an organisation maintains a fine line of balance between professionalism and a familial culture. I was very much in awe by working there. All the employees from different departments acted in unity. This made me look forward to go there every day. The feeling of generosity is very much deeply ingrained in all employees. It has an open culture where all employees can communicate with each other as and when required, without resorting to a formal chain of command. The management is very accessible to all the employees. Employees understood the special nature of non-government, not-for-profit and charitable organisations. All employees had a very cooperative attitude and would make sure the other individual is comfortable. My major learning was through community visit. It has made me realize how Smile Foundation has acted as a catalyst to help the underprivileged children realize their dreams. Because of Smile Foundation’s efforts, there is greater confidence in the students to pursue their dreams. Smile Foundation’s belief that education is tool that empowers individuals and its efforts towards ensuring the same are commendable. It has, in a real sense attacked the grassroots problem facing the society today. To sum up, interning with Smile Foundation actually helped me connect back to myself and it made me learn how one can always manage to smile even when faced with hardships of life."


Julie Mansuy

Julie Mansuy “I'm Julie a French student in Public Health. I've done a 2 month-long internship with Smile Foundation. I learnt so much about public health, medicine, management, and about the Indian lifestyle. I really enjoyed working with smile foundation's team; they are very kind and nice people. I felt welcome and comfortable during my stay, I recommend anyone to work with this NGO as it will be a good and rich experience!

Thank you so much, I hope to come back to work with you one day!"

Bhavya Joshi

“My affiliation with Smile Foundation has been that of volunteer work which was transient yet enriching. Smile Foundation provides a very warm and conducive environment to work. It was a pleasure to work for an organization which not only gives a platform to people of every strata to work for a cause but also accommodate youngsters like me who get an opportunity to interact and work with professionals . My experience at Smile has enhanced my knowledge and understanding of the philanthropic world. The responsiveness, ideas and implementation of Smile Foundation has made it one of the top NGO’s of the country.
I am highly delighted to have been associated with this reputable organization. I look forward for a mutual long-term relationship. Thank you for a marvelous experience."


Tejas Mehta

“I volunteered with Smile Foundation as a part of IIFT's CSR programme. Overall, I had an amazing experience. The working culture at Smile Foundation is very open - we had access to all information related to our project and nothing was under the wraps. Our mentor, Sandip Nayak, showed patience of a saint and answered all our queries regarding ongoing programmes at Smile. He gave us various options to work on existing programmes. Moreover, there were no restrictions on what we did at Smile as long as there was value addition. We learnt a lot in a short span as we got the opportunity to audit 4 programmes. Sandip and his team were receptive to our ideas and also implemented a few of them right away (without any bureaucratic delays). We actually felt that our time and efforts were valued at Smile Foundation and we could see that, under Sandip's guidance, we were making a difference in our own small way.

All in all a great experience and a good learning experience. I am very satisfied with the time I spent at Smile."


Rohit Sohanlal

“I worked as a Volunteer in the Mission Education Department of Smile Foundation for a period of two months on a library project in which we had to setup libraries in 100 NGO's across India. People that I worked with were professionals in their field and worked with great enthusiasm to improve the quality of lives of children who need it the most."


Kumar Rajan

Kumar Ranjan

Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship, Kochi

“Thank you for providing me the opportunity to work with Smile Foundation. In my point of view, I never felt that I am working with an NGO. I always felt that I am working with a Corporate with a mission to make the under privileged children literate, empowering the women of the society, reaching to the poor people to ensure that nobody should be deprived of any medical facilities and with the vision of reaching to the maximum people where government or other people can’t reach.
In general, there is a different conception about the working of the NGO’s that, everyone would be lazy, nothing will be done on time, they tend to forget their mission & vision after some time but what I felt at Smile is, the corporate working style, optimum utilization of the time & resources, good governance and the will to serve the society is the basic mantra behind the successful career of Smile Foundation and we all are the witnesses as within a short span of time, it has grown leaps and bounds.
My experience with all the people I interacted with turned out to be a great as I learnt from everyone I met. Be it my Manager or the Chief Manager or the support staff. I consider this NGO as a brilliant place to work in because if you put in effort, you will get to learn a lot. In my opinion all the employees from junior to senior levels are extraordinary and this gives Smile Foundation an upper hand in comparison to the other NGO’s.
It was really a wonderful and very rich experience working with the family of Smile Foundation, especially with Mr. Tapas Ranjan Roy & Mr. Satnam Singh. I want to thank both of you for your valuable support in nourishing interns like me and sharing your experiences with me and teaching me even the small things which are really critical in professional life.
Once again, the knowledge, information, and enthusiasm that you have shared with me has a great impact on me.
Thank you to the whole Smile Foundation Family for accepting interns and giving them the freedom to implement ideas of their own."


Gagandeep Singh

Gagandeep Singh

 Introduction: - My name is Gagandeep Singh, pursuing MSW from IGNOU. I engaged myself with SMILE FOUNDATION for my 2nd year internship of 45 days. Smile Foundation is working on different programs to support marginalized people or community like (i) Swabhimaan for women, (ii) SOW for health, (iii) Mission Education for children and (iv)STeP for underprivileged youth. I got the opportunity to work in the STeP Program of Smile Foundation.

About STeP: - STeP is the livelihood program of Smile Foundation which works for the betterment of underprivileged youth by enhancing their communication skills and by providing them computer training. It is a six months training program in which minimum 120 students are trained every year in a single STeP centre. In the training session students enhance their computer operating skills, efficiency in English, learn skills like basic and retail management which enables them to get respected jobs in retail sectors. The program also provides placement on completion of course after a term end examination.

Learning: - During my 1st year internship I got to learn how a CBO works to implement any project at grass root level. In Smile Foundation I experienced that there are so many procedures done before the implementation of any project. I experienced how proposals are introduced, how approvals are taken, how reports are written, how documentation and filing work is done and how communication is done on consistent basis. I observed the roll of a supporting partner to provide the sources to other partner NGOs so that the partner NGO be able to support any underprivileged person or community, also it keeps an eye on whole project to make sure that the sources or help provided will actually be utilized by the beneficiary. Smile Foundation not only tries for the upliftment of marginalized youth but it assists the partner NGO to be self-sustained over the period of time. Experience: - Internship in Smile Foundation has been a great experience. It helped me gaining the practical knowledge of the things those I learnt theoretically in the course of MSW. Foundation has very supporting working environment.


Lajeesh Vijaykumar Pillai

Lajeesh Vijaykumar Pillai

Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship, Kochi

 “Thank you for providing me with an excellent opportunity to work with Smile Foundation India. It’s been a very steep learning curve with an organisation that is working towards bringing about a visible change in the society with a special focus on women and child empowerment. It was a privilege to work with an NGO that believes in providing quality medical services to the underprivileged people of the society using various modes like SOWs (Smile on wheels) & outreached models to cover maximum people under its ambit.
One commendable thing about Smile is the staff associated with it who are a bunch of extremely energetic and committed individuals working towards a common goal.
I am thankful that you let me contribute to your organisation through marketing which is my key area of interest. My task was to generate revenue to the NGO by leasing out ambulances to the vendors and I hope I have done justice to the task assigned .I am sincerely grateful to my seniors for giving me this opportunity.
Lastly I would like to thank Mr Satnam Singh and Tapas Ranjan Roy for their wonderfully co-operation and leadership .Both of them were a guiding force for the wonderful experience I had in this organization. ."

Sonalika Lakra

“Working with smile foundation has given me an experience of a lifetime. My passion has always driven me towards working for the society. My long term goal in life is to start up an NGO of my own. So, interning with SMILE FOUNDATION was the first step towards my dream. The office is quite strict and disciplinary in its rules and regulations and this is the reason it is totally focused in achieving what it aims for. I worked under the guidance of Ms. Pooja Rani. She gave me immense opportunities both in the field work and program related issues. I worked on many programs like day to day sessions on health and nutrition of young girls and ladies and many related issues such as, the scholarship program, which is run under SWABHIMAN wherein young girls are put on the right path and are compensated for their education expenses, and the functioning of a mobile health clinic which provides free checkups and medicines are provided to ladies and children in slum areas.

Working with smile foundation has given me a deep insight as to how a successful NGO works. This has been the best place to learn."


Saurabh Kumar

I volunteered for Smile Foundation for September and October. My experience was very fulfilling and rewarding since day one.
The whole process was organised and efficient. The type of work was what I requested for and it helped me utilise the best of my skills.
Overall I gained much knowledge about the subject and more importantly, I was able to connect with various sections of our society and gained a broader perspective.
Now I have gained some invaluable experience which is going to stay with me forever.


From the Blog

  • My internship with SMILE FOUNDATION was immensely satisfying. I am currently pursuing masters in technology and have always been interested in technology and research. So, working with the weaker section of society was a new learning experience and felt very rewarding.

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  • “I'm Julie a French student in Public Health. I've done a 2 month-long internship with Smile Foundation. I learnt so much about public health, medicine, management, and about the Indian lifestyle. I really enjoyed working with smile foundation's team; they are very kind and nice people. I felt welcome and comfortable during my stay, I recommend anyone to work with this NGO as it will be a good and rich experience!

    Continue Reading
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