About Smile

SMILE, or Society Moved to Instill Love with Empathy, is a registered non-governmental organization headquartered in Mumbai, India that reaches out to children and women from the underprivileged sections of society across urban and rural areas. It provides all-round support to these groups for education and empowerment, seeking to bring out their talents, build their confidence and make them fully independent and self-reliant.

Founded in 1997 by Ms Anaxi Shah, President, a qualified and experienced social worker, SMILE has grown from small beginnings (its first ‘centre’ was on the sands of Chowpatty beach in Mumbai and worked with a handful of children) into a full-fledged, professionally-run organization. Today, it has multiple projects that reach out to varied target groups across different geographical locations, impacting the lives of over 5,000 individuals and their families.

Yet, despite this growth, SMILE retains its essential character as an organization involved in people to people interaction. It emphasizes personal involvement, to the extent possible, of volunteers and donors in the lives and activity of the beneficiaries. Such voluntary commitments have enabled SMILE to keep administrative expenses to a minimum and ensure that nearly every rupee donated impacts those for whom it was intended.