Bombay Smiles

The inspiring story of one man's efforts to make the world a better place.


“Sanllorente’s story, reminiscent of Greg Mortenson’s Three Cups of Tea, is remarkable and uplifting.”—Booklist


Jaume Sanllorente was a twenty-seven-year-old journalist leading an active and exciting life in Barcelona—no more idealistic than the average young professional—when a travel agent convinced him to spend his vacation in India. It turned out to be a trip that literally changed his life, along with the lives of many others.


When Sanllorente discovered that an orphanage in the slums of Mumbai was about to shut down, he vowed to rescue it, and he dedicated his life to those children and to the rebuilding of a community on the brink of collapse. Bombay Smiles is his—and their—story.


Jaume Sanllorente was born in Barcelona in 1976 and studied journalism at the Universidad Ramon Lull. Bombay Smiles, the NGO he founded in 2004, provides schools, homes, and health care to thousands of children in India.


Bombay Smiles, the NGO founded by Jaume Sanllorente, currently provides jobs for more than 300 people in India. The project has directly benefited the lives of some of the most disadvantaged people there, including those in the untouchables caste and patients with leprosy. Bombay Smiles addresses five broad areas: education, families, leprosy awareness, medical expeditions, and job creation. In 2010, Bombay Smiles became Mumbai Smiles. Learn more about it www.mumbaismiles.org.