About Smile Odisha
Rural reconstruction, carried out one village at a time
Founded on 10 November 2012 and registered under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 (Regn. No. 23531/67 of 2013–2014), Smile Odisha is a non-political, non-profit-making, secular and humanitarian organisation working across the state of Odisha.
Background
Why Smile Odisha exists
More than 80% of India's population lives in villages, and the real development of the nation depends on the full, comprehensive development of those villages — socially and economically. Political freedom on its own is not enough without economic freedom, and rural India continues to work toward self-sufficiency and self-reliance.
Smile Odisha was established in the belief that rural reconstruction is the surest way to that development — on Gandhian lines of peaceful, just means, working toward a society without exploitation or inequality. Rather than focusing on a single sector, the organisation takes up integrated development that grows out of the felt needs of the people themselves, with government and non-government bodies acting as partners and catalysts rather than the sole providers.
Unlike organisations that concentrate on one sector alone, Smile Odisha works toward the synergy of different inputs — health, education, employment, sanitation and environment — needed for a people-centred development strategy.
Mission & objectives
What we work toward
Smile Odisha envisions a social order of peace and prosperity with equal opportunity for everyone, and works to strengthen the organised advocacy of civil society for universal welfare. Its founding objectives, as set out in its Memorandum of Association, include:
- Building communities' own entrepreneurship and micro-systems in health, education and employment
- Collaborating with Government and other non-Government development efforts
- Motivating students and the concerned public to join development activities
- Undertaking study, research and documentation for scientific progress of the work
- Promoting integrated, time-bound, result-oriented development programmes
- Promoting employment schemes, savings and cooperatives among the people
- Educating youth on national integration, family welfare and environmental protection
- Supporting land development, watershed management and protection of natural resources
- Organising workshops, seminars and conferences on pressing themes
- Facilitating community-based organisations, SHGs, farmers' groups and youth forums
- Helping eradicate social evils such as dowry, child labour and untouchability
- Running adult education centres, libraries and non-formal education programmes
- Supporting Khadi and village industries, and encouraging their everyday use
- Organising Sisu Melas and programmes for the moral and physical development of children
- Training SC/ST and OBC women in handicrafts, embroidery, appliqué and sewing
- Running welfare programmes for women and children of weaker sections
- Working on health & sanitation, mother-and-child care, and old-age support
- Undertaking disaster response, relief operations and rehabilitation after calamities
- Promoting yoga, alternative medicine, herbal plantation and sports
- Respecting the religious and cultural feelings of the people at all times, and avoiding political activity
From the Secretary's Desk
A message from Mr. Manoranjan Mishra
"Smile Odisha has been working at the grass-root level since 2012, now reaching nearly 65 villages across Odisha."
The existing grass-root realities call for a radical change in the development perspective — with a focus on sustainability, eradication of poverty and unemployment, reducing inequality, and a drastic change in health affairs.
Smile Odisha has worked with a major emphasis on these issues since 2012, running programmes across nearly 65 remote and rural villages of Odisha, despite the confrontation with vested interests along the way.
In the years ahead, the organisation will try to take on more responsibility, matching the development needs of the communities it serves. We are proud of our committed team members and recognise their sense of ownership and involvement. We owe a great deal to our donors and to visitors who have shared their experience with the organisation, its team and the people it works with — and we remain obliged to the supporters, volunteers and well-wishers who have encouraged us along the way.
We look forward to receiving continued co-operation and support, with renewed zeal, as we carry this mission forward in the years to come.
Governing body
Who runs Smile Odisha
| Name | Designation |
|---|---|
| Benudhar Tripathy | Chairman |
| Pratima Dash | Vice-Chairman |
| Manoranjan Mishra | Secretary |
| Mrinal Kanti Roy | Assistant Secretary |
| Dillip Kumar Kandi | Treasurer |
| Santosh Kumar Das | Member |
| Dr. Srilekha Mishra | Member |
| Kanhucharan Behera | Member |
| Saumendra Kumar Mohapatra | Member |
| Kirti Kumar Rath | Member |
| Abhisek Pattanaik | Member |
| Ashok Kumar Das | Member |
| Balavadhara Maharana | Member |
| Dr. Satyabrata Kar | Member |