“Miles2Smile foundation will focus on the holistic development of around four-hundred Rohingya children who had no access to formal education while residing previously in deplorable cloth and tarpaulin tents”.
Nuh, Haryana, Dec 31, 2022 | Reiterating its commitment to creating a change for the underprivileged & the oppressed communities, Miles2Smile foundation launched a two-day event from Dec 31, 2022 to January 1, 2023, coinciding with the new year eve’ to celebrate it as a Dignity Day and acknowledge the incredible resilience of the Rohingya refugee community, who despite being displaced from their homeland had learnt not only to survive but to thrive. This was a time when team Miles2Smile came together to recognise the amazing things that they had accomplished in the face of adversity.
The event spanned across two days with the first day featuring various gaming competitions, Qirat (Recitation of Quran) competition and a week long tournament in their traditional game ‘sholoon’ (Chinlone). The finale of the tournament was played on the second day on January 1st, before the felicitation ceremony began.
The gaming competitions were held with an aim to infuse young minds with an energy that would help them develop their character.
The competitions held in the first day of the event included IQ games, rope-skipping, a 200 meter Spoon Race, Hula-Hoop Race, and a 100 m Stool Race, in which students from the Fatima-al-Fihri, Fatima-al-Sheikh, and Kulsum Sayani learning center participated with great enthusiasm.
Following the sequence, the activities on day one culminated with a tug-of-war game, held between the two teams of young active students from Madarsa ‘Imam-ul-Bukhari’ and ‘Taleem-ul-Quran’. Everyone cheering for their favorite team enjoyed watching the competitive spirit of each participant playing the game of ‘strength and strategy’.
The following day began with the organisation of the weeklong tournament finale of ‘Shoolon’ (Chinlone), a sport that combines football and volleyball with the use of hand woven cane ball, in the first half of the day, and was blessed with the kind presence of Mr. Sameer Siddiqui as the Chief guest for the Dignity Day event and Mr. Farman ( President , MEEM Foundation) , Mr. Azhar Ali (Co-Founder, Fatima Charitable Foundation ), Mr. Beg , Owner, Midland Books) & Mr. Sadiq Anjum (eminent Social Change-maker ) as guests of honour.
As the day progressed, guests indulged in the stage performances of refugee kids reflecting their culture and memories from their homeland Arakan in Myanmar. The performances were in the form of singing, dancing and storytelling. A live Qirat (Quran recitation) competition was also organized the same day among the seven students of Madarsa Taleem-ul-Quran & the Madarsa Imam-ul-Bukhari. The winner of the Qirat competition was awarded a sum of Rs 5000.
We felicitated all the winners from the previous day’s competitions, and the winning team of (Chinlone) tournament, as the event neared its end. We also felicitated all the community leaders, and our teachers from the five – learning centers located inside the settlement for their remarkable contribution in bringing about a significant change in the children’s lives.
We could not believe our eyes when we saw our kids enthusiastically participating in games and performing on stage confidently. No-one expected this result in such a short span! We thank everyone for their continuous support & generosity.
“The final day of the event was a great proof that an initiative such as this has a lasting power to transform the way the world looks at the charity and its receivers”.
The two day event concluded with a vote of thanks extended by Mr. Aasif Mujtaba, the director of Miles2Smile foundation to the respected guests, the community members and to the entire Miles2smile family members.
There were 3 volunteers, 2 nodal officers, 5 field executives, and 7 staff members involved in making the event a success.
Stressing on the importance of education for the underprivileged and oppressed communities, the Founder & Director of the organisation stated in his speech that the rights and dignity of the Rohingya people be respected, protected and promoted. And, ensuring that the Rohingya have educational opportunities, access to health care, and have access to livelihood opportunities will ensure that the refugees are equipped and ready to return to a life of dignity in their homeland. “If we don’t make the investment in education now, we face the very real danger of seeing a ‘lost generation’ of Rohingya children, children who lack the skills they need to deal with their current situation, and who will be incapable of contributing to their society whenever they are able to return to Myanmar,” highlighted Mr. Aasif Mujtaba.
“Globally, there are over 30 million displaced children with no access to education”
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states that the right to education is a basic right that children are entitled to irrespective of their nationality, caste and creed.
Miles2Smile foundation is running 3 learning centers and 2 Madarsas for the children in the Rohingya refugee settlements
- Fatima-al-Fihri learning center, Chandeni 2, Nuh, Haryana
- Kulsum Sayani learning center, Nangeli 1, Nuh, Haryana
- Fatima-al-Sheikh learning center, Nangeli 2, Nuh, Haryana
- Madarsa Taleem-ul-Quran, Nangeli 1, Nuh, Haryana
- Madarsa Imam-ul-Bukhari, Nageli 2, Nuh, Haryana
About the organization:
Miles2Smiles was established two years back as a not-for-profit organization, based in Delhi. The organization works primarily in relief activities and brings smiles to the faces of victims looming over penury and distress. Livelihood creation, healthcare and educational empowerment are also some core areas of work by the organization. In the past two years, the organization has made commendable service in delivering solace to the people languishing in the heap of despair. The organization is on an assiduous mission to revive happiness to the people ripped after communal tensions.
