17-year-old Indian student who worked on empowering peers among UK’s Diana Award recipients 

Late teens are when students are all too worried about their own career choice, academic pursuits and the pressure to perform, but 17-yr old Kavin Vendhan was different. He went the extra mile to help his peers, via his non-profit initiative - SMILEY India, that works towards motivating and offering leadership lessons for the peer group. 

Society for Motivation Innovative Leadership and Empowerment of Youth, abbreviated as SMILE, is a movement comprised of school students and for students, that was founded in 2019. They function by conducting workshops, sessions that are guided by their five ideals - Happiness, Self-love and empath, Self-Actualization, Innovation, Leadership. 

The teenager’s efforts have won him the prestigious Diana Award 2021, which is a prestigious accolade that a person aged between 9-25 can receive for Humanitarian efforts and social action. Established in memory of Diana, the Princess of Wale, the award is given out by the eponymous charity with the support of the Duke of Cambridge and Sussex. 

Offering 3-hour sessions in partnership with schools, the SMILEY movement has so far covered over 1500 students, addressing topics such as Self-esteem, leadership and personality development. With the pandemic having disrupted education and transformed learning methods, they too adapted and went online. 

Quizzed on how he came up with the idea, Kavin Vendhan told Zee media that he had the opportunity to be a part of the Central Board of Secondary Education’s(CBSE) Peer-educator programme, that trained students to help educate their peer. This initiative was meant to help students with learning issues and similar challenges. That’s how and why he realized the significance of talent and skill over marks, Kavin adds. 

Virtual meetings known as Smiley Student discussion forum are operational since 2020. It offers a platform for students to collaborate and share ideas regarding solving social issues in a non-religious and non-political manner. With the support of more than 40 student members from different parts of Tamil Nadu, SMILEY also provides peer-based mental health support, via students that have undergone basic counseling training. 

“The connect is easier since we are the same age group, perhaps, they won’t open up so much with elders” Kavin says confidently, when asked about whether the per group readily accepts the ideas and suggestions. 

According to Tessy Ojo, CEO of the Diana Award, they have valued and invested in young people, encouraging them to continue to make positive change in their communities and lives of others. The award ceremony which is usually held in the UK, was held virtually this year, owing to the pandemic.