Service Spotlight: The Kindness and Smile Zone

Welcome to another edition of #ServiceSpotlight with The Smile Project where we share incredible stories of people doing incredible things in their communities. This week, we are thrilled to share the story of Ayona Jaswal, the Founder and Executive Director of The Kindness and Smile Zone in Ontario, Canada.

Let’s start in traditional Smile Project fashion. Give us a Happiness!

Ayona: Happiness is.. knowing that a small act of empathy can bring comfort, hope, and a smile to a child when they need it most.

Tell me about The Kindness and Smile Zone.

Ayona: The Kindness and Smile Zone is an international youth-led organization dedicated to fostering empathy, resilience, and pediatric wellness. What started as an individual summer passion project when I was 14-years-old has grown into a dedicated team of over 65 youth changemakers working to ensure that no child, whether navigating health challenges or facing tough times, ever feels alone or powerless.

We bridge gaps in youth wellness through a multifaceted approach such as hosting free, educational global webinars and podcasts, creating educational resources and blogs, collaborating with hospitals and community partners, presenting guest talks, and organizing card-making, book, and stuffed animal drives. We also design and distribute customized activity packs, kindness letters, and digital resource kits to children and families in hospitals, schools, and underrepresented communities.

What is the driving force behind what you do?

Ayona: Faced with personal health challenges since birth, I chose to transform adversity into a proactive mindset for global good. Inspired by my father’s medical service and his selfless dedication to others, I realized that true wellness requires a community-driven approach. My lived experience, combined with a desire to turn hardship into purpose, drives everything we do at The Kindness and Smile Zone.

What does service mean to you?

Ayona: To me, service means turning personal challenges into pathways of support for others. It is the belief that empathy is an active force, one that can be scaled globally to uplift communities, break down isolation, and empower young people to see themselves as active changemakers today, rather than waiting for tomorrow.

How can people get involved?

Ayona: We are rapidly expanding and always looking for dedicated volunteers, community partners, and healthcare organizations to join our movement and help build a kinder world together! You can learn more at our website and resource hub, follow us on Instagram @the_kindness_and_smile_zone, or email us directly with inquiries [email protected].

Anything else you’d like to add?

Ayona: Youth are not just the future, we are active leaders capable of turning personal challenges into global change right now. Whether sharing our story with media outlets like CBC News or writing my middle-grade novella, Colors of Courage, to support pediatric care, our team continually proves that compassion has no age limit and no boundaries.

Do you have a favorite piece of advice to leave us with?

“Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”

–C.S. Lewis