“Project Smile” began in 1992 as a cooperative effort between the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia and the Anglican Diocese of Belize, in Central America. We are a prevention oriented dental program for indigent children. Every year various teams of volunteer dentists, along with auxiliary personnel, both trained and untrained, travel to Belize to St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church in Belize City. There we have a permanent 7-chair dental treatment facility in an unused classroom at St. Mary’s School. This is an urban school in a rundown area of the city.
The old clinic in operation
The new clinic in progress
The computer lab with new Macs
We treat children ages 4 – 14 years, provide cleanings, fluoride treatments, fillings, and treat abscesses. Every child in the school receives toothbrushes and toothpaste, which are used at school every day after lunch. Every Wednesday they receive a fluoride rinse.
Our dental surveys in 1996 revealed that the children in our Project Smile Program have a 62% reduction in decay. These are better results than expected.
In 1997 we sent donated kitchen appliances from Georgia to Belize and now we have a modern lunchroom where volunteers serve hot cooked meals at lunch instead of the children chewing sugar cane or having no lunch at all. More than 100 hot lunches are served every school day to children regardless of their ability to pay the 50-cent charge.
In February 2001 at St. Mary’s School we created a safe schoolyard with storm drainage and constructed a playground with swings and large state-of-the-art playground equipment.
In 2002 Project Smile installed the first computer lab for children in Belize. We enlisted the help of U.S. Peace Corps volunteers to teach computer skills to students at St. Mary’s School. As of 2004 we have subsidized the salary of a full time computer instructor.
Since 1999 we have expanded our dental program to include the children at:
- St. Mary the Virgin Anglican School (all students plus Fluoride rinse program)
- St. John’s Anglican Cathedral School — bussed 3 miles (Fluoride rinse also)
- Hattiesville School — bussed 40 miles
- The Belize School for the Blind — bussed 90 miles
- The Stella Maris Government School- for mentally and physically challenged
- All Saints’ Anglican School (added 2003)
- Queen’s Square Primary School (added 2004)
- Cayo District School (added 2006)
As have March, 2007, and our 39th mission, we have treated almost 8,000 children, provided toothbrushes, paste, and weekly fluoride rinses to all students in these schools.
For 2007/2008 we have five dental mission trips planned, each composed of approximately 12 volunteer team members.
Our relationship with the Anglican Diocese in Belize has been wonderful! We enjoy the company of local adult Belizean volunteers, family-style meals, worship, fellowship and fun. For U.S. volunteers, our time in Belize is a life changing experience.
Since most expenses, such as travel, room & board are “Dutch treat,” We rely on private donations to make this wonderful program succeed.
Since December 2002, Project Smile, Inc. has been a nonprofit corporation with a tax-free status as determined by the Internal Revenue Service in section 501 (c) (3).