The "Drive for Smile" initiative organized by Prayaas Corps took 30 underprivileged children from Jaipur, India on a driving experience to motivate them towards education. The children enjoyed a 26 km ride in cars to a biological park, where they saw animals for the first time. After a lunch supported by a local restaurant, the children said they wanted to study harder so they could own a car one day. The initiative was a success in sparking motivation through an unconventional experience rather than just teaching.

1. DRIVE FOR SMILE
A MOTIVATIONAL DRIVE
Everyone, at least once in their lifetime have felt that happiness when their friend brought a car and
all of them went for a long distance driving in that. That uncanny feeling lurks inside each one of us
irrespective of our status (rich, underprivileged, and middle class) in the society. It may be possible
that you have a car in your home but, the thing that makes you happy is that you get a thing that was
unattainable at that point in time. Hence, the feeling of having something or being around something
that is unattainable at that point in time makes us happy. This is not a babble, anyone who felt this
will vouch for it. The same thing happened when Prayaas Corps, an NGO in Jaipur (Rajasthan, India)
organised a “DRIVE FOR SMILE” initiative for the underprivileged kids in Jaipur. Now someone would
ask, “Are there any benefits of such actions?” The answer will be a big YES. Someone can also ask,
“Won’t getting to feel something that you can’t have makes you sad for rest of your life?” The
answer will be a big NO. Instead it will have an opposite effect on the minds of the underprivileged
kids.
Scientifically speaking, scientists have established the fact stating that experiencing things that you
don’t have brings joy and motivation to have those things in near future. Hence, effect of self-
experience is far superior to just talking about the same things to children. Such a kind of nudge tilts
the mind of underprivileged in the right direction from where it becomes extremely simple to
motivate him further for studies, becoming a good citizen of the country etc. Such initiatives help
underprivileged kids in making goals for their life and motivates them to work harder to achieve them.
Such motivation is not possible to attain just by teaching the kids and conveying them regarding the
consequences of good education or things they can achieve by educating themselves. Prayaas Corps
has established the fact that just teaching kids will not do the job. To become the most efficient in
the work, one must try unconventional ways to catalyse the effects of education in the
underprivileged kids. Every NGO must learn from the experience of prayaas corps and must include
such unconventional ways in their practice to motivate kid for education.
DRIVE FOR SMILE was organised by Prayaas Corps on 9th
JULY (SUNDAY) for the kids of the Kacchi
Basti. Vitthal’s Kitchen, one of the famous restaurant in Jaipur supported Prayaas Corps initiative by
offering lunch to these underprivileged kids. This initiative was a part of a social outreach exposure
programme under our SHIKSHA MISSION PROJECT. There were 30 children and to make them feel
special 30 cars were arranged by prayaas corps to have one car for one child. The drive was organised
from Jawahar Circle to the Nahargarh Biological and Zoological Park. Children enjoyed and loved this
26 km ride. They danced on the music in the car. Peeked outside the windows. Felt the air that came
rushing on their face. Befuddled with everything passing so quickly and the first time experience put
a smile on their face. Feeling what would be like to have a car, they all were motivated to study hard
and own a car in the future. We all felt extremely happy to see those big giant smile and strong
motivation that they had after the ride was over.
In the park, children for their first time saw Asiatic lion, white tiger, big snakes, deer, ostrich etc. They
were amazed to see such different species of animals and at the same time were very happy by looking
at them. They were coping their actions, running here and there and it became a little bit difficult
for us to keep a check on them. Their happiness was on whole other level which could be easily
guessed by the smile on their faces. After the amazing experience and the incredible memories of the
park we rode back. On our ride back, we stopped at the Vitthal’s Kitchen Restaurant where kid were
provided with a lunch. They happily enjoyed pizza, chow mien and pav-bhaji. Ice cream added flavor

2. to the taste of this delicious lunch. They danced on the songs, we severed them, they served each
other. The whole placed was filled with joy and happiness.
After a refreshing lunch at Vitthal’s Kitchen and thanking them for their support in the cause, we went
back the Jawahar Circle to drop off these children to their home. We thought that while leaving these
children to their homes, they might get sad because they may in the near future never get another
chance to be in a car. But to our surprise, one child ask us, “Bhaiya! How much do I have to study to
get a car?” All the 30 children with the same spark in their eyes and with the same question in their
mind was looking at us for an answer. We bent on our knees with a hands on their shoulders and said,
“You will have even bigger car if you keep on studying hard with the same passion and
determination you have now.” They all hugged us and smiled and said that they will study harder
now. We left them at their homes. With the memories and the enormous success of the mission that
we haven’t had anticipated, we went back with the smile and happiness as yet another time, we
created a difference in the lives of the underprivileged kids and with an even bigger flame in the hearts
of doing even better things in the future. With a promise to organize such drives for many more
children in Jaipur, we put a full stop on our successful Sunday’s initiative that is DRIVE FOR SMILE.
“DRIVE FOR SMILE” initiative become an enormous success indicating that education with exposure
of motivation is much better than providing them with just education. Every NGO must understand
this that self-motivation comes from exposure not just by talking. So every NGO must start such
programmes and make education fun and motivated.
Kumar Kartik Jain
(Intern at prayaas corps)
About Author: I was born on 5th
Octuber 1995 in Gwalior (M.P). My father is a business man and my
mother is a house wife. I have one elder sister. I have completed my schooling from Gwalior my
graduation from SGSITS, Indore(M.P).
www.prayaascorps.com
About Prayaas Corps: With a motto to stir and inspire the youth’s mind in schools and colleges for
National consciousness and work for the cause of society, this independent student organization was
formed in 2013 on the day of 12th
January. Prayaas-India, as it was initially called took up the initiative
of working for the elation of the people of the society in order to create a better future and children
who wish to serve our Motherland.