At the recent International Dental Hygiene Educator’s Forum (IDHEF) in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, we had anincredible lineup of speakers. This article will outline the presentation by Sandy Kemper, RDH, BS. It was based on “Dental Hygiene, A New Professional Career and Educational Opportunity for Impoverished Women in Bolivia.”
The Smiles Forever project was born out of a missionary trip by Sandy in 1999. She discovered that the Bolivian shelter where she was providing services had a revolving door. Most young women came to live at the shelter because they were abandoned or taken from their families by the government because of neglect or abuse. The scholastic education was mínimum, and few residents finished high school. Many women returned to the shelter to live as single mothers, as maids, after living and working on the street. Sandy saw the same patients year afer year.
With the help of friends, family, fellow hygienists and $10,000 from her line of credit, Sandy returned after the first year year to refurbish the clinic. Her goal was to teach five young women to become dental hygienists who would then take over her role and bring prevention to South America. Smiles Forever was created as a nonprofit foundation in the United States with a 501(c)(3) designation in June 2000. Sandy and her colleagues started a pilot program in 2000 and received their Resolucion Prefectural 345-03 in 2003, which is similar to the 501(c)(3) status in the United States.
Smiles Forever Foundation is an accredited teaching organization in Bolivia. The founders are authorized to create and develop any kind of training program in the field of dentistry, including dental hygiene. They are now processing educational authorization (license) to certify and provide national titles (board exams) for dental hygienists. Here is a paragraph extract of Smiles Forever Resolucion Prefectural #345/03: “Smiles Forever Foundation is authorized to develop training and educational programs, continuing education programs, analysis of subjects, all related to technical and superior education in the field of dentistry, with the purpose to provide teaching support for college students and dental professionals, promoting scientific research for the complete formation of Bolivian human resources.”
The mission of the organization is as follows: “Smiles Forever is a nonprofit foundation dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty by giving women in poverty the opportunity to be educated as dental hygienists so they can in turn empower and provide for their own families, become leaders in their county of Bolivia and engage in providing dental care services to disadvantaged children in Cochabamba and the surrounding rural areas.”
Smiles Forever was created to solve two problems. One is to give indigenous young women the opportunity to be educated so they can provide for their families. These women were and are the most marginalized in Bolivian society. The other goal is to bring prevention to a country where people are suffering from rampant decay and periodontal disease. By introducing the profession of dental hygiene these problems can begin to be solved.
Madre de Dios shelter provides a home for female children age to five to 18, and has one Bolivian dentist on staff. It also has a daycare center for low-income families. The shelter was really a “catch-all”, and the clinic was in shambles before renovation. Three wooden chairs were aligned to form a treatment chair.
Sandy realized that she needed to create sustainability. Ever since her first trip, there was a group of five young girls, aged 16 to 18, that were always observing in the clinic. She thought they would be perfect candidates to become the first new students. Sandy and her colleagues created a two-year vocational training dental hygiene program tailored to meet the needs of the Bolivian population. The program was designed for working students so they could attend in the morning or the afternoon half-day sessions. The students were paid a small fee for the bare necessities of life.
The first five dental hygienists graduated from Smiles Forever School in three years in 2003. There is an aplication process for new students. There are also numerous barriers to overcome. Once accepted students sign a contract that they will commit to being educated at Smiles Forever solely, and continue in the area of dental hygiene for two years after graduation.
Four years ago Madre de Dios closed its doors, allowing Sandy and her team to provide dental services to several organizations in Cochabamba and surrounding rural areas. They currently work with 16 different shelters, foundations, and NGOs, and basically any person in need. All the services are free.
Source: http://www.dentistryiq.com/articles/2015/12/smiles-forever-empowering-bolivian-women-to-be-dental-hygienists.html
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