Why We Do What We Do



Uganda

Uganda is a stunning country with beautiful people. We go to Uganda every January, June, and July. We work with the Muchiga People, Buhomans and the Batwa Pigmies in SW Uganda .

This is story of a typical trip:

Jonathan has been our guide since our first year there. He was a remarkable man who wanted to give back to his community by helping us with our needs. Like so many of the children we were caring for, he too grew up an orphan. He was found in a dump by an old woman who took him home and nurtured him until he was well enough to live in an overcrowded orphanage. Jonathan proudly mounted Smile Power stickers onto his vehicle and proceeded to perform miracles during our journey. He got us from gas station to gas station in areas where they were very sparse indeed. We were able to visit two extra and very remote villages because of his willingness to drive the tortuous roads and juggle fuel needs of the vehicles. Jonathan also helped us operate the generators for our clinics, and he took care of our fuel needs.

We took portable dental equipment, our own food and drinking water, plus water for operating in the clinic. In the places we visited, most people had never seen any kind of dentist and none had any idea that a tooth could even be fixed! By the third day of our clinic, word had spread and people started pointing to their bad teeth asking for "cement."

People of all ages came to us for help. Mothers brought young babies with jaws swollen from infected teeth. Grandfathers came to us for relief from long-term tooth pain. People of all ages came, forming a long line. We worked from early morning until it was too dark to work safely. People continued to come. Many waited in line for three days to be seen by the dental team. Our efforts were rewarded with warm hugs, big smiles, and sometimes tears as our new friends left the clinic feeling better from our care.

In addition to dental care, and thanks to the generosity of our supporters at home, we were able to get food out to four children who lived very remotely and had nothing to eat. These kids had been sharing one tattered rag as a sleeping blanket on the dirt floor of their failing shack. We delivered blankets, clothing, and enough food to last three months.

One of Smile Power's endeavors is to train local people to take responsibility for continuation of the care that Smile Power initiates. To accomplish this in Uganda , Smile Power is sponsoring four local care takers in education programs. We have sent two students to a "dental boot camp" offered by a local dentist, and two young women to school to study nursing.

Prepare for travel to Uganda

About Uganda

Photos from Uganda

 
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