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SMILE – Sustainable and Meaningful Intervention for Livelihood Enrichment 

The SMILE project seeks to uplift deserving students in Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Sylhet, Sunamganj and Dhaka by providing scholarships, educational campaigns, and teacher training, while also enhancing capacity development and employment opportunities for local youth, promoting cooperative governance and micro- savings, addressing health issues, and championing environmental conservation, all while exploring innovative solutions to meet community needs.
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Habiganj
24.3896201
91.4126221
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Moulvibazar
24.485853
91.7764601
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Sunamganj
25.0666548
91.40723919999999
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Dhaka
23.804093
90.4152376
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Sylhet
24.9047808
91.86000790000001
Bangladesh
Project duration
2023 - 2028
Financed by
  • Chevron

The SMILE project is essential due to the socio-economic challenges faced by the target regions in Habiganj, Moulvibazar, Sylhet, Dhaka and Sunamganj. These areas often grapple with limited access to quality education, resulting in academic disparities and limited career opportunities for local youth. High levels of poverty and financial need make it difficult for deserving students to access education and pursue their aspirations. Additionally, the lack of specialized coaching and resources for subjects under the national curriculum has hindered the overall academic performance of students. The project also addresses broader issues such as limited employment prospects, cooperative governance, healthcare access, and environmental conservation in these regions, enhancing the quality of life and fostering community development.

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.

Results

Expected results and impact

  • Improved Educational Attainment: Deserving students in the target regions are expected to demonstrate enhanced academic performance and access to quality education through scholarships, coaching support, and specialized campaigns.
  • Enhanced Capacity and Employment Opportunities: Local youth will have developed valuable skills, making them more employable and ready to explore self-employment options in high-demand sectors, contributing to economic growth.
  • Strengthened Cooperative Governance and Financial Resilience: Community members will have a better understanding of micro savings and sustainable governance practices, increasing their financial resilience and local economic sustainability.
  • Health and Well-being: The overall health and well-being of the community are anticipated to improve through health campaigns, accessible healthcare centres, and disease prevention initiatives.
  • Sustainable Environmental Practices: Communities will be actively engaged in environmental conservation efforts, leading to increased tree plantations, biodiversity preservation, and ecological balance in the designated areas.

News

Bangladesh
Upskilling and Reskilling, Labour market insertion, Entrepreneurial ecosystems
03.12.2023
SMILE Project Organized a Planning Workshop: Chevron and Swisscontact Collaborate for Sustainable Impact in Bangladesh
The SMILE project, launched on October 1, 2023, through a collaborative workshop attended by key stakeholders from Chevron and Swisscontact, aims to address the educational and socio-economic needs of communities in five districts of Bangladesh over the next five years.
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