IndiaCSR News Network

MUMBAI: The Much awaited celebrations and the much awaited day – ’10th year celebrations of Mumbai Smiles took place on the 6th of April.

The event was a humungous one and saw participation by our beloved beneficiaries, persistent partners, dedicated donors and all our well-wishers. The event was an opportunity to relive the journey of Mumbai Smiles.

The opening ceremony was held at Holy Spirit Hospital on the 6th April 2015. Spanish Consulate General His Excellency Eduardo De Quesada was the Chief Guest. Secretary of Military Road Residence Welfare Association and Suresh Nair was special guest,along with Jaume Sanllorente, President Founder Mumbai Smiles and Narendra Kumar Dundu, Executive Director IndiaAfter the lighting of the lamp and the speeches by the dignitaries .

In his letter of best wishes for the program, Maharashtra Governor, Vidyasagar Roa wrote ” Iam pleased to know that Mumbai Smiles is celebrating its 10th Anniversary . I wish and hope that they will keep up its good work of extending support to the poor and the needy.Initiatives like skills development must be implemented with greater dedication. I congratulate Mumbai Smiles on the occasion of its 10th anniversary and wish it success in its future endeavors”

Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis conveyed “I am happy to know that Mumbai Smiles has completed its ten years. The organization is focused on helping communities lead healthier, smarter and more sustainable live. Along with skill development among youths and women, Mumbai Smiles places focus on providing under-privileged children a chance to quality education.

I wish all the best for the souvenir which you are publishing to commemorate ten years of spreading smiles. I extend my best wishes for the future endeavors of Mumbai Smiles ”

” It is a great pleasure to congratulate Mumbai Smiles on its tenth anniversary and it is definitely a cause for celebration. It has prioritized issues of concern of the people residing in the slums of Mumbai. I am impressed with the constant flow of creativity, which the Mumbai Smiles managed to produce for its beneficiaries.

I wish Mumbai Smiles all the best in this new phase and hope it will continue to address critical issues that affect the women and children and bring them into debate & action and that we will discover and realize some common dreams together” shared Ms. Pankaja Gopinath Munde, Minister for Rural Development and water conservation, women & Child development employment guarantee scheme, Govt. of Maharashtra.

The celebrations kicked off with an inspirational song sung by Sooraj from , followed by lightening of lamp by guests for the evening.The Executive Director of Mumbai Smiles gave an inspiring speech, where he spoke on different programs such as Balwadis, HOPE and mMitra. People seemed uplifted and full of enthusiasm after this speech. Jaume then took the stage. In his speech, he talked about his journey to Mumbai and the vision of Mumbai Smiles – how the organization wishes to give the underprivileged a dignified life.

He thanked the entire team, the collaborators, and the people who live in areas within Mumbai smiles’ reach. The Chief Guest, Suresh and Eduardo de Quesada also gave a speech, where they spoke about changing the city. They also thanked the team for the invitation, and applauded Mumbai Smiles for successfully completing 10 years of existence and making a difference to society.

The second part of the program involved performances by beneficiaries of various projects. The audience applauded when the Balwadi children started performing ‘We Are the Future’ The children danced while their teachers waved balloons and presented cards with problems faced by slum children.

Balwadi teachers followed up with another performance. Dressed in white kurtas with red ties around their waist, the respected women performed a Hindi skit. The skit represented the voice of women suffering from abuse and inequality.

The skit was followed by a drama, depicting the journey of Mumbai Smiles. It was performed by young women empowerment program beneficiaries. The performance was very touching and heart filled. It started out with a dance, and then went on to tell the story of Jaume’s first visit to Mumbai – shocked with inequalities in the city, and lives of people in the slums and underprivileged areas.

The performance demonstrated the growth of Mumbai smiles and the launch of projects such as The Balwadis, Future Smiles, Life Skill Empowerment, and mMitra. The performance of these young girls left the audience enthralled.