Smile Foundation takes a STeP towards an educated India

GoBarefoot: Life for Suhasini has not been what a young girl would expect. Staying with her parents and three younger siblings, poverty, and struggle have been a part of her life since childhood. But Suhasini has fought her circumstances with grit and determination and has emerged a winner.

Suhasini’s father was a painter, who barely earned Rs. 3000 a month, hardly enough to meet the basic needs of the family. Suhasini had completed her schooling, but she had a strong desire to study further. She aspired to get a job to support her family, so that she and her siblings could continue their studies.

The already dismal situation took a turn for the worse when Suhasini’s father was diagnosed with a life threatening disease. Not much later, he succumbed to the disease. After his death, Suhasini’s mother went into depression. The whole family was traumatized and the question of survival stared them in the face.

Suhasini realized her responsibility as the eldest child of the family and the need to get a job became even more urgent. But with only class 12th education and weak communication skills, her chances of getting a job were dim.

Smile Foundation‘s Smile Twin e-learning Programme (STeP), came as a timely help in her hour of need. She enrolled for the programme and as she started getting trained in computers, soft skills, and English, her confidence in her abilities began to develop.

All equipped to get a job after the course, Suhasini did not have to wait for long. She landed a job as a sales executive with Breadtalk Crustum Products Pvt. Ltd. and now earns Rs. 7500 a month. Her family is proud of her; she has become a source of inspiration for her siblings who have also decided to pursue the course. Suhasini’s mother, taking cue from her independent daughter, is now looking up at life again.

An initiative of Smile Foundation, Smile Twin E- learning Programme works to create a pool of young and independent people, from the marginalized section, through skill enhancement in tandem with market requirements.

With the aim to the bridge the gap between demand and supply of skilled manpower, this national level programme trains the urban underprivileged adolescent youth in English proficiency, basic computer education and soft skills for enhancing their prospects of employment in the fast expanding retail, hospitality, and BPO sectors. Smile Foundation provides placement assistance for STeP students. In this regard, the placement cell of the Smile Foundation has linked with corporates for organising placements, internships, and exposure visits for the trainees.