Sustainable Developement
Self - Sustainability:
Teach a man to fish and he fishes for life
Our philosophy is simple. Change children’s lives forever through a simple operation. However, at Operation Smile we do so much more than just operations – our goal is to give our local partners the tools and training that they need to treat children on their own each and every day.
Just a few examples of how we do this:
- Local Projects: In January 2007, Operation Smile U.K. funded the Local Medical Project to Kenitra, Morocco. A team fully comprised of credentialed Moroccan Medical Volunteers treated 97 children suffering from facial deformities.
- Education: In November 2006, Operation Smile U.K. funded Basic Life Support Training Course in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 91 nurses received training in vital life support methods that they now use each and every day.
- Infrastructure: Through the Brian Coghlan Memorial Fellowship Operation Smile U.K. recruited and sponsored the salary of the New Executive Director of Operation Smile India. Her work dramatically increased both the level of Indian funds raised and the Indian medical volunteer base, leading to the first ever local funded, locally staffed India Medical Project that treated 41 children in need.
- Centres: Operation Smile U.K. has supported the first Operation Smile India Care Centre to be opened in Bolpur, India in November 2007. This Care Centre will provide treatment and on-going medical care for literally thousands of patients and will act as an international hub for medical education.
- Equipment: By November 2007, as part of the Global Standard of Care Initiative, each Operation Smile partner foundation will be supplied with the highest quality medical equipment needed to perform operations. This donation, along with the continued medical education programmes, will ensure that every child and patient receives the highest standard of care every time.
Sustainable Development in Action:
Operation Smile Vietnam
- 1989 First Operation Smile International Medical Project to Vietnam– 100 children treated
- 1995 Operation Smile Vietnam becomes a registered international NGO in Vietnam
- Operation Smile Vietnam begins to recruit local volunteers and raise funds
- 1996 Operation Smile Vietnam hires Operations Manager and opens it’s first office
- 1999 Operation Smile Vietnam runs its first local projects. Operation Smile Vietnam medical volunteers treat over 300 children
- 2001 Operation Smile Vietnam provides surgical and dental treatment to 1023 children
- 2003 Operation Smile Vietnam conducts medical project to Laos
- Medical team comprised fully of Vietnamese volunteers conducts medical project in neighboring Laos
- 2006 Operation Smile Vietnam raises in excess of $600,000 (in Vietnam) for its medical programmes
- 2006 Operation Smile Vietnam provides surgical and dental treatment to 5,390 patients in 16 local projects run solely by Vietnamese volunteers
- 2007 Operation Smile Vietnam’s opens the first of three Care Center and Training Facilities
