SMILE – Sustainable and Meaningful Intervention for Livelihood Enrichment 

The Project

The SMILE project offers a multi-faceted solution to the educational and socio-economic needs of the target regions. Its theory of change involves identifying deserving students, providing them with scholarships, targeted educational campaigns, and coaching support, and enhancing teacher training to improve academic performance. The project fosters capacity development by identifying in-demand professions and industries, offering skill development opportunities, and promoting self-employment. It also supports cooperative governance, micro savings, health campaigns, environmental conservation, and emergency relief services.

Key stakeholders include local education authorities, school and college administration committees, local education offices, financial institutions, edtech companies, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, local schools and colleges, local business associations, universities, financial institutions, government and non-government organizations of the Government of Bangladesh.

The beneficiaries of the project are deserving students, local youth, primary and secondary school teachers, cooperative executive committee members, community members, and individuals in need of healthcare and environmental support.

The most important activities include scholarship identification and distribution, educational campaigns, coaching support, teacher training, market surveys, skill development initiatives, self-employment and entrepreneurship programs, financial support for youth, technological innovations, health campaigns, environmental conservation efforts, and emergency relief services in collaboration with various stakeholders.

Project Goals

1. Educational Excellence: The project's primary goal is to improve the educational landscape in the target regions by identifying deserving students, providing scholarships, and offering educational campaigns and coaching support to enhance academic performance. The aim is to bridge educational disparities and ensure that local students have access to quality education.
2. Capacity Building: Another key objective is to empower local youth by offering skill development opportunities and promoting self-employment in promising industries. This goal aligns with the aspiration of boosting employment prospects and fostering economic growth in the communities.
3. Cooperative Governance: The project seeks to promote cooperative governance and micro savings initiatives, with a focus on sustainable practices. This goal aims to enhance community participation and financial resilience in the long term.
4. Health and Well-being: The project is committed to addressing health-related issues by organizing health and medical campaigns, supporting the establishment of dedicated healthcare centres, and providing essential information on preventing and treating diseases. This goal is geared toward improving the overall health and well-being of the local population.
5. Environmental Conservation: Environmental sustainability is a significant objective of the project, with efforts to engage local communities in tree plantation campaigns, nature-based solutions, and biodiversity and forest preservation initiatives. The goal is to create ecological balance, raise awareness about environmental protection, and contribute to long-term conservation.
6. Innovative Solutions: The project aims to explore innovative solutions to meet community needs, which may include technology innovations, digital platforms, and clean energy initiatives. This goal underscores the project's commitment to staying at the forefront of innovation and addressing critical community requirements.
7. Inclusive Development: The overarching goal of the SMILE project is to foster inclusive development in the target regions, ensuring that all community members, especially deserving students, local youth, and underprivileged individuals, have access to opportunities and resources that can improve their quality of life and contribute to the overall betterment of the communities.