Mumbai Smiles volunteers visit the communities we work with

Volunteers are one of the lifelines of an organisation like Mumbai Smiles. Giving us their time, effort and help, they enable us to make a much larger impact in our work. So it is always a great pleasure for us when we can help our volunteers to meet the people who they are helping and see our work on the ground. On 6 September 2018, we conducted a field visit with Esmeralda, a graphic designer living in Mumbai, and Marga, her husband and her two children. Esmeralda is thinking about joining us as a volunteer and wanted to see the work we do before she starts volunteering.

We first visited a slum in Govandi, where the visitors interacted with the residents and saw their difficult living conditions. The visitors were surprised at the positive and cheerful spirits of the slum residents in spite of their hardships. After lunch, we took the visitors to our preschool at Powai, where they met a student named Adarsh and his parents. Adarsh’s parents told the visitors about how they were able to build a small house for themselves despite facing many difficulties. They also praised his progress at the preschool. The visitors were able to get a clear picture of the effect our work is making on children like Adarsh and the slum community in Mumbai.

To volunteer with us write to mumbai@mumbaismiles.org