Those Happy Pune People

LONDON: The happiest Indians in all the world live in Pune
and India's Western seaboard is absurdly happy compared
to both Delhi, its political centre, and Silicon Alley down
south in Bangalore, while Kolkata is our capital of
cheerlessness, according to a survey of gross national
happiness across the planet.

The survey is published here by GfK-NOP, the market
research organisation that happily boasts it figures among
the top four worldwide, with sales of EUR 672 million last
year and operations in 63 countries.

It reports that more than half of all Pune residents say they
are "very happy with the overall quality of life". Pune is closely,
if surprisingly, followed by its richer, sassier neighbour,
Mumbai, which comes in at 42 per cent.
Article from the Times of India

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Well, Punekars like the ones below seem to know what
real happiness is all about ....
The Smile Granter
Annie Thomas, 82, resident of a Pune old-age home was
recently presented with a Casio electronic organ—something
she’d wanted for a long time. Today, Annie, a former music
teacher, not only plays the organ for her own pleasure, she
provides music at the home’s prayer service.
Annie is among the 500 people whose lives have been
brightened by Anil Bora, a 50-year-old Pune businessman
who started the Grant A Smile Foundation.
“I’ve always wanted to help people,” Bora says. In 1998, after
reading an article on the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants
wishes to terminally ill children, Bora started its Pune chapter.
But wanting to help adults as well, he branched off on his own,
and four years ago launched Grant A Smile. And in 2003, he
opened Rainbow Home, where seriously ill patients and their
families can enjoy free holidays together.
More stories like this one are in the Indian Reader's Digest

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And then there's... S m i l e - the Shop With A Purpose
Savitri Marketing Institution for Ladies Empowerment

The movement which begun two years ago has benefited
thousands of the women in Pune region, not only by providing
them with employment opportunities but empowering them in
many other areas. Today there are many success stories of
unemployed women turning into successful entrepreneurs.
http://www.smilepune.com/index.html

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