Physical Health Bolivia Project #17807

Provide Dental Care for 60,000 Bolivian Children!

by Smiles Forever

Project Report | Mar 1, 2024
Bringing Modern Dental Care to an Ancient Culture

By Sandy Kemper | Founder and Director of Smiles Forever

It is with the greatest respect for the Bolivian people and their ancient culture, that Smiles Forever has been able to bring modern dental care for over twenty years. One of the key aspects is to empower the mothers who care so much about the education and health of their children.

Nowhere in South America is the lack of preventive dental care more alarmingly evident than in Bolivia, where thousands of young people are seen with severely decayed, life threatening abscesses and missing teeth resulting from an epidemic of dental caries.

Heavy consumption of sugary, carbonated beverages such as colas exacerbates the problem. Many children and adults suffer from gum disease, and there are very few specialists available to treat it.

HELPING CHILDREN - ONE TOOTH AT A TIME

Smiles Forever teams with organizations throughout Bolivia to provide dental care to children who need it. We're proud of the impact we've had, and the smiles we've saved.

Smiles Forever, with your support, is able

To continue to develop and grow our community service clinic that provides quality preventative and restorative dental care to impoverished children in Bolivia.
To continue to advance the general health of children in Bolivia through the practice of preventative dentistry.
To share our dental hygiene educational program and community service model with developing countries.
To donate a dental chair and establish a more permanent mini clinic in the town of Marquina.

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Nov 24, 2023
Quechua Bolivian Children Helped by Smiles Forever

By Nancy Clark | Project Leader

Even the littlest children receive toothbrushes

Smiles Forever Foundation held an event for donors in Seattle with both Sandy Kemper's local Robison family and her extended family from Bolivia in attendance. Her father-in-law, Dr. Jorge Aranibar, a retired obstetrician from Cochabamba gave the welcoming address. His remarks acknowledged that we are part of the greater world where often selfish people and reckless leaders cause chaos to rain down upon us. Nevertheless, on a smaller local scale, self-less individuals serve their communities and sustain their families with hope and caring deeds. Dr. Aranibar celebrated these tireless, dedicated people who make our lives safer, meaningful, and in so many ways sow good and kindness.

"Man has used and uses his intelligence to create and develop technology, but while some use it to help humanity, others use it to destroy it and cause harm. This is the reality: while some seek to help human beings, others from the darkness of their ambitions, seek chaos for purposes of dominance and supremacy. But not everything is bad, for there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Fortunately, there are people like you, who are now actively participating in this event, people like the Robison family, like Dr. Sharon GoLightly, like the Smiles Forever team and like many other people who empty their hearts, and fill them with love, compassion and solidarity. Even without knowing who they help, they provide their contribution without expecting anything in return." Dr. Jorge (Yoyo) Aranibar
Smiles Forever for 23 years has adhered to the philosophy that good works can multiply and lift at-risk people from the pain and sorrow of poverty. Smiles Forever thanks all of you for being part of the effort to bring much needed dental care to more than 40 partnerships like orphanages and a children's burn center.

Saving Children from the Pain of Dental Decay:

Refugio Rafael and the school for indigenous children in Marquina is one such partnership. In this Quechua community on the outskirts of Cochabamba, the Smiles Forever team mobilized to bring dental care--instruction, screenings, and treatments to 250 young children. Next year, it is predicted 300 school-aged children will benefit. In a village where food is often in short supply, and where the men are away trying to earn a living in the city, their wives and children struggle. Mothers sometimes are forced to barely eat, and to ration the food of their older children, so that their little ones can survive.

Dental Care a Key Element of our Quechua Community Program:

Connie De Jong, the founder of the Refugio Rafael community, shares these words:

As 2023 develops, we are reinforcing our partnerships and expanding the reach of our programming into as much of the community as possible. As you may recall, our project primarily serves people in the Marquina area, many of whom are indigenous Quechua people who have migrated from remote rural areas in search of paid work, more educational opportunities for their children and often health care. We seek to support the range of pressures that come with setting up in a semi-urban area.

Our primary programming includes educational support for school-aged children, transitional housing for single parents, and many associated support programs including food distribution, scholarships and support for young people to enter the workforce, small business development and growth support, medical, dental and vision assistance. While our primary focus for all these services is those in greatest need, including those accepted into the housing program and the after school programming, we have been able to offer support to the surrounding community through the local school system, and now with a partnership with the neighboring community.

More Students Expected for 2024 & More Dental Care Recipients:

Angela Heaney, a Bolivian Fundraising Lead for Refugio Rafael, adds these details of the school students and the dental treatments they receive from Smiles Forever.

Students at Refugio Rafael are finishing their 2023 academic year, which, in Bolivia, runs from February to mid-November. This past year, Refugio Rafael had 125 students enrolled in the after-school program! We are expecting over 300 to enroll in the 2024 academic year. The after-school program provides homework help, tutoring, special education, and career exploration opportunities. In July, 16 new students participated in a winter break reinforcement program. The students improved their reading and math skills and will reevaluate their proficiency during the summer break. The after-school program provides homework assistance, tutoring, special education, and career exploration opportunities. Snacks are provided daily and the program encourages students to continue their education.

Smiles Forever continues to provide dental care for children and adolescents at the Refugio. Our partnership reached over 250 children during the last visit where they received dental care and dental education.

Donors like you continue to support our mission to provide a safe and nurturing environment for indigenous and migrant mothers and their children to live and learn. Refugio Rafael continues to successfully operate our 4 primary programs: after-school, dental and medical assistance, transitional housing, and economic development/Fair Trade Artisans. These programs provide a safe space and opportunities for families to break the cycle of poverty.

On Giving Tuesday, November 28th, all organizations receive a bonus from GlobalGiving. We invite our donors to participate to propel the work we all care so much about. Muchas gracias

Quechua family in Marquina

Potato staple harvested

Traditional chores

New toothbrushes for students

Women making crafts

Fashioning wool the traditional way

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Aug 2, 2023
Update of the Application Program of SDF - GIC

By Alejandro Beckrich B. | Director

Dear Donors, Supporters, and Friends of the Smiles Foundation,

We are thrilled to bring you a small update on the progress of our work at SDF and GIC application program at the Marquina Educational Unit in the Marquina community, located in the province of Quillacollo, Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Over the course of a week (May 8 to May 13, 2023), we successfully executed the pilot stage of the silver diamine fluoride (SDF) application program. This program has had a significant impact, benefiting more than 300 individuals directly and an equal number indirectly.

We are deeply grateful to our founder, Sandra R. Kemper, Dr. S. Golightly, and the allied organization, Refugio Rafael, a member of GlobalGiving, located in the Marquina area, as well as UPAL University, local educational authorities, the Unidad Educativa Marquina parents' board, and members of the community for their invaluable support and participation.

The focus of this initial stage was to apply SDF to children between the ages of 4 and 8 years old who had been deprived of dental services and were suffering from active cavities. We are proud to report that every single one of these children received the necessary treatment.

Our objective with this program is to adhere to the protocols established by the Smiles Forever Foundation, ensuring humane, safe, and ethical treatment for all beneficiaries. To this end, the project is being actively evaluated, assisted, and executed by the Internal Review Board (IRB) of the Universidad Privada Abierta Latino Americana (UPAL). The data obtained, processed, and compiled from this stage will pave the way for a larger-scale project that aims to provide SDF benefits to over 1500 children attending the Marquina Educational Unit.

While the application of SDF and Glass Ionomer Cement (GIC) and education in oral health home care techniques and nutrition are crucial parts of the solution, we acknowledge that they may not be the ultimate answer to all the needs of this community. Unfortunately, not all teeth can be saved, and some cases require more complex dental processes and immediate attention. Hence, we propose the opening of a dental unit in the medical post adjacent to the Educational Unit. This facility will provide dental services to all members of the community, staffed by dentists graduated from the dental school of UPAL and supported by the Smiles Forever Foundation.

The results of the first visit, which is one of four visits comprising the pilot stage of the program, have been highly positive; our second visit is scheduled from August 21 to August 26, 2023. The commitment and involvement shown by school authorities, parents, and students have been motivating, and it reinforces our dedication to fulfilling our promises to the community. We deeply appreciate your continuous support, which helps us turn our programs, dreams, and hopes into reality for the less fortunate.

Thank you for being an integral part of our journey to bring brighter smiles and better oral health to the Marquina community.

With sincere gratitude,

Alejandro Beckrich B.

Director, Smiles Foundation Bolivia

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