Smiles Forever
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Mission Statement
Smiles Forever Foundation was created in 2001and is composed of three projects. The THE DENTAL HYGIENE SCHOOL which allows impoverished young women, mostly mothers, the opportunity to be educated as dental hygienists through scholarship. 32 women have graduated and 4 have continued on to be dentists. As the students progress through the two year vocational training program they provide preventative services (cleanings) to children in the under served populations of Cochabamba and surrounding rural communities as the Bolivian dentists/professors on staff provide restorative care in our COMMUNITY SERVICE CLINIC . These children come from 15 other organizations including the burn center, children affected by HIV, cancer center, and homeless. Since 2001 over 20,000 children have received free dental care. THE PUBLIC ( FEE FOR SERVICE CLINIC) allows senior students to work with general public and S. F. to work toward sustainability. All money returns to help the school and community service projects.
About This Cause
The Smiles Forever mission is to break the cycle of poverty by vocationally training young indigenous women to be dental hygienists in Cochabamba, Bolivia. We recognize women as the first socialization factor in the family. Enabling them to become financially self-sufficient, we are both creating female community leaders and bettering the lives of their children. The culture may relegate females to second-class status, yet there is no denying that the woman is the primary socializing force of the family. An educated woman practices family planning. An educated woman knows that equal opportunity should be afforded to both male and female children. An educated woman understands and values the importance of prevention when it comes to both medical and dental care. She is less likely to accept domestic violence as a situation she must tolerate. She has self esteem, which allows her to make appropriate decisions within her household, community and country. “Poverty and gender inequality go hand in hand. Addressing gender gaps in poor countries is not only a moral imperative but also a practical one, given the growing body of evidence which supports the idea that targeting investments in girls and women can help lift entire families and communities out of poverty.”