Hope Smiles exists to create generational impact through dentistry. Together, we can transform lives both today and for generations to come by making quality, compassionate dental care available all over the world. Our value-driven statements guide us on this journey.
We must learn to see the world with fresh eyes. We must continually reimagine what is possible by relentlessly seeking solutions that bring real transformation through practical, paradigm altering programs. Innovative action creates compassionate and creative solutions to problems that have plagued communities around the world for generations.
This journey is a calling requiring commitment to a vision greater than any of us. Our collective vision pulls us forward even in the most difficult of circumstances. It demands we offer our best in service of others as an expression of love flowing from a heart of service. This heart leads to creativity and passion that fuel our drive to provide dental care defined by the highest quality possible for all people throughout the world.
Big problems cannot be solved alone. Impact-minded leaders from all walks of life are necessary to create generational impact. Strategic collaboration towards a shared vision leads to deep connection as we combine our strengths to transform lives all over the world. We can learn from each other. We will grow together. We will transform lives together.
Creating generational impact requires courage. Courage to learn from those who look and think differently than us. Courage to listen before speaking. Courage is defined by the will to persevere despite uncertainty. The Hope Smiles community is defined by this resilience and an adventurous spirit that dreams about what the world could be if we only allowed love, grace, and mercy to guide us.
Leadership development is the core of Hope Smiles. Authentic development means local leaders must be effectively equipped to transform lives through dental care. Local leaders receive world-class training and resources. This allows local teams to transform their own communities. The Hope Smiles hub and spoke model provides long-term, life-giving employment and continuity of care for generations.
Our team exists to serve big-hearted visionaries (like you!) in meaningful ways so YOU can use your gifts and talents to create generational impact worldwide through the development of quality, compassionate dental teams.
For me Hope Smiles has been a 10 year journey from doing good to living a full life. In other words, from doing to being. There have been struggles and trials and laughter and victories. It has stretched me to my limits and filled me like nothing Ive ever experienced. Hope Smiles has helped me see the power in a purpose and that people really do want to belong and matter to something greater than themselves. As we travel this journey, we get to make lifelong connections and encounter a true and living God whose only desire is that we live fully in relationship with Him and others.
We start with an idea-and grow towards it. When that part of the journey appears to be coming to an end, introspection reveals another layer a layer more rich & rewarding than the top layer. Journey further and yet another layer is revealed, even more beautiful and infinitely more powerful.
With each successive layer we grow into more of what God created us to be, stripping away the outer layers to reveal the Authentic core. It is a wonderful experience to live life out with the Gifts & Talents given us in a Community all driving towards the same end.
Hope Smiles is a place where faith becomes action. We enter into the pain and suffering of the world, committing our work to God, and watch Him use us to bring peace into lives that were broken including our own. We do this in a global community, united by a common mission that transcends our differences. Together, we learn about what it means to develop and use our talents in service of God to share His love.
Hope Smiles is a place where our brokenness, vulnerability, giftings and talents are all woven together with Gods love. The result is amazing transformations. Not only have I been blessed to witness many hearts, lives and smiles transformed, but God has transformed my heart through being a part of this incredible community.
Working at Hope Smiles has given me the opportunity to see true joy from patients after receiving transformational dental treatment. Working at Hope Smiles gives me a chance to become better every day in whatever I do as we move forwards towards a great vision.
Working at Hope Smiles has given me a chance to be a part of something bigger, something beyond me, something which is not of man but of God. It means I am part of a loving family, in the business of transforming lives, going out to be love.
Hope Smiles is love. Working at Hope Smiles has taught me to love and serve using the talents God has given me to help bring His Kingdom to Earth as it is in Heaven. Hope Smiles has given me the opportunity to grow physically, spiritually, and financially by developing my talents and using them to love people well.
Working with Hope Smiles gives me a chance to share the love of God with His people. God loved me, He found me, He saved me, and I know that. And my being at Hope Smiles has opened my eyes to my purpose in this world: to love and serve as Christ did.
Susan NasagaPublic Health Dental Officer Hope Smiles has given me a platform to transform peoples lives through loving them using the talents God has given me. Above all, Hope Smiles has helped me grow spiritually and developed my skills. My attitude about the delivery of dental care has shifted from only relieving pain to transforming entire lives through dental care.
Working with Hope Smiles has changed all aspects of my life: spiritually, economically, socially, academically, mentally, and emotionally. I now have confidence. The team has great love and teamwork. Above all, we learn from Gods word each morning, giving us wisdom to love God and others well each day. This makes Hope Smiles a place of restoring hope, encouraging and empowering community, and treating dental conditions to a high standard for a better future for everyone touched by Hope Smiles.
Hope Smiles means being faithful to the call of God. We want to provide quality, compassionate dental care that transforms lives to all people across the world. Personally, God has brought a vision of attending dental school through Hope Smiles, the Hope Smiles mentors helped develop that vision, and God avails resources through Hope Smiles. Now I am at school pursuing Dentistry! This means that there is a continual redefinition of life depending on where He puts you and how you value the opportunities He gives you. Therefore Hope Smiles is not just a place of work -- it is HOME to me.
Hope Smiles has given me hope I can still cling to my dreams and achieve them. I know we are needed in transforming lives in Uganda through quality, compassionate dental care. I love working with Hope Smiles because we put God first. Our daily devotionals each morning give the best environment to work in. We are no longer workmates but rather family -- we have that care, love and community I have never found elsewhere in life.
I can greatly say Hope Smiles is a great team of collaborative employees backed by a team of shepherding leaders. Because we all get to learn from those with more experience, we always feel comfortable asking them for guidance. I feel so overwhelmed to be part of this family! This is where I found my forever family, and this family has made this journey joyful.
I have been working for Hope Smiles since April 2017, and before that I was a patient. Hope Smiles has transformed me physically, mentally, and spiritually. I love being able to meet different kinds of people and making a positive impact in their lives!
I love working with Hope Smiles because it has given me a family. Hope Smiles has a culture that makes you learn, how to love well, how to be social, and how to talk to peole from different backgrounds. Most importantly, the culture at Hope Smiles has helped me grow spiritually, which has helped me in all areas of life. I also feel proud because Hope Smiles is about helping people who would not receive care without Hope Smiles -- we transform lives!
I am motivated by the need of many people out there eager to receive treatment, oral hygiene, and productive motivations talks leading to whole-life transformation. I am looking forward to continuing to continuing to work with Hope Smiles, driven by the love of God, until I see a genuine transformed nation of Uganda. I am guided by Phillipians 2.13: It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. At Hope Smiles, I know I am working for Gods good purpose.
It feels good to wake up everyday knowing I am going to transform lives, most especially deep in the villages where people have no access to dental care. I feel happy because our team is an inspiration to many and I have learned leadership so we can transform lives as a team.
I love working a Hope Smiles! It is precious to me!!! It has taught me to transform peoples lives through loving and caring for them. This has happened because the culture and good working environment creates people who have helped me learn and develop more skills.
Creating a smile on someones face is a gift from God, and Hope Smiles has given me that gift as a patient over and over again. Now as a member of the team, I am empowered to do it for a variety of people around Uganda. My life is now more meaningful because of this work.
Working with Hope Smiles has taught me what it means to love and to be loved. It has enabled me to meet my financial needs by developing skills that transform lives through quality, compassionate dental dare. I have learned not to quit or step down when things are hard, that good things can happen when I keep going, and through the learning process my work has become fun.
Immaculate Kiiza - Patient Experience SpecialistDental AssistantHope Smiles is a place where dental pain and suffering is transformed into joy. It is a place where God uses different individuals with different talents to restore hope into the hearts of people who had lost it. It is the source of the smile I have today and I am so glad to be part of the great team that serves God through providing quality, compassionate dental care in Uganda.
I love working with Hope Smiles because I am developing skills and helping others with knowledge. This also is the chance I have been waiting for to help people and become financially secure through doing great work!
For me, I love Hope Smiles because we get to live out the sacrificial love of Jesus by starting off each day with devotion and later on getting ready to share love and compassion by transforming the lives of our patients from the inside out through quality dental care. My career in administrative work and management is taking turns and growing over and again and I love the process!
ALLEN NAMWASEAuxiliary StaffFour years ago, I was desperate and hopeless with my life. I needed to cover my mouth if I laughed or smiled, but since I met Hope Smiles my life has been transformed as I received a beautiful smile and educated on how to care for it. I no longer cover my mouth! I really appreciate the work that Hope Smiles does and I am happy to be working here for over 2 years because I know I help our team transform lives. I enjoy my work and am proud to be a part of the Hope Smiles team!
Working with Hope Smiles gave me the possibility to see a bigger picture of the dental health situation of my country. It allowed me to get out of my comfort zone, step up as a leader, and play my part in the changes that need to happen in our health system and the life of every single patient we touch!
Serving alongside our local team members, Hope Smiles short-term Dental Serve Teams create generational change by sharing their specific expertise with our local teams. General dentists, specialists and hygienists share their specific specialties in unreached communities and equip our teams to continue to do serve. Prepare to have your life transformed as you come and transform lives yourself!
1. You will become familiar with our core values, vision, mission, and goals with the local team you serve alongside. This happens before you arrive and atyour orientation. We are a values-driven organization, and understanding how our values and vision drive our daily responsibilities is essential to working with us. It is our hope that your time here adds significance and meaning on your journey as we transform lives together...and create memories to last a lifetime.
3. Transport, accommodation, and food will be pre-arranged for you prior to your arrival. This will all be tailored to any special requirements you may have -- our team on the ground will walk you through what is available!
3 dentists and 5 support staff from Hope Smiles relentlessly served the people from that mostly Muslim community on Tongolo peninsula. This community lives in extreme poverty and never had access to dental treatment prior to this outreach. The people were released from their pain and got schooling how to prevent further decay.
First schooled and treated on this outreach werewhat the Hope Smiles team calls Hope Smiles Ambassadors. Hope Smiles Ambassadors are members of the community who are trained to properly educate the community on proper oral health practices while dispelling dangerous dental related myths. Ambassadors also help engage the community year-round and organize patients for return outreaches, as most of them do not have phones. This is a fantastic concept!
All this was done with much love and respect for the patients so that one of the Muslim leaders stood up and thanked us Christians for sharing our love and serving them as Muslims. We felt Hope Smiles had an enormous impact on the people and everybody experienced Gods love.
We also see the importance of sustainability. Hope Smiles is providing continuing treatment biweekly and is a tremendous blessing for the people in the area. We love hearing the reports from the community around the NGO we work with. We are looking forward to serving with Hope Smiles again in March 2019!-Dr. Rainer and Louise Bliefert, Switzerland
During the summer of 2018, I was able to travel to Jinja and work with Hope Smiles Uganda. I served in the clinic and also at an outreach in a nearby village. Working alongside members of the team there was amazing. They are creating systems that are innovative, effective, and educational while helping those in need of dental care. I was truly blown away by the professionalism and compassion the team showed while treating patients.
Ive been able to travel the world utilizing my dental hygiene skills with Hope Smiles for the last ten years. My experiences have been life changing, and most of all memorable. A common denominator in the places Ive served is the overwhelming need for love, compassion, and care. Through Hope Smiles, I have been able to show kindness for those who are less fortunate and give back smiles that have been lost.
Our work isn't about teethit's about hearts. It is about holistic transformation of each person we meet and the transformation that restores hope. Each person we have the privilege of treating has a story that matters. We empower them to transform their story and their future by improving their health and building their confidence.
Henry is a hard-working, dependable electrician in Uganda. He has helped the Hope Smiles team with different electrical problems we have had over the years, but never could find the courage to sit in the dental chair for us. He knew he had dental problems, but only knew of people who had terrible experiences with dentists.
After everything Ive been through, in the military, in prison, on the streets and now at The Bridge, Ive found that, though it might not happen the way you want it to, as long as you keep the faith, youll come through. Even when you think youre going it alone, there are people whove been put there to help you through, and the team at Hope Smiles are some of those people.
We thought originally all Hope Smiles was going to do was just pull a tooth or something. We didnt realize what we had in store for us and when we found out that they were going to give us a new smile completely, it was totally unreal.
And theres a lot of people that look at me in a different light now. What Hope Smiles did has made a big difference in my life. I feel like Ive got more confidence in my self. People tell me I look so much different and so much better, you know, and that makes you feel good. The team at Hope Smiles did such an outstanding job, I cant wait to go back to Atlanta to show my new teeth to my Mom. Shell be excited. Might not even recognize me.
Desperate, she came to the Hope Smiles clinic in Jinja. Our team educated her and made a plan to restore her dental health. Most important to her, the sliding scale fees at our clinic made this world-class dental care accessible financially!
Esereda had been excommunicated from her village her husband had left her, her church thought she had a demon, and socially she has lost her friends. These events were the result of a softball-sized growth coming from her upper jaw.
I got started on the wrong path early. I was smoking at nine, doing drugs by fourteen and in November 1979, when I was 17, I shot a federal cop. When I was arrested, even though I turned myself in, they kicked my teeth in. They have this thing, when you hurt one of their own. I dont blame them. I crippled him and they were just returning the favor. By the time I turned eighteen, I was sentenced twenty to life I a federal prison.
After fifteen and a half years of prison for shooting a federal police officer, that officer and I started a ministry together in Phoenix, AZ called Church on the Street. Hope Smiles agreed to repair my teeth. When I saw my smile for the first time, it kept me in tears for hours. Being able to smile again, to look at people. My confidence level is sky high. I talk more clearly and feel confident in what Im doing. I feel like my life has turned all the way around.
It made me want to get into ministry work like this. People dont think you can turn your life around but Im a witness to it. When God gets into your life He can turn it. You meet new friends and might even find a family you cant get anywhere else. Like I said, Ive got a smile that wont quit. Im very happy to carry these teeth.
Martin came to our clinic in Jinja one day with a very serious infection. He told us he had not slept for 3 days and thought he was dying. A friend told him to go to Hope Smiles, because the local medical doctors could not help him.
You see, I was in an abusive relationship. My husband hit me in the mouth and knocked three of my teeth completely out. As time went on, three more came out with it. When I lost my teeth I hit that southern stereotype: toothless redneck hillbilly. That hit me hard. Ive always been big, so I never thought I had anything tied to my looks. But when you dont have teeth, people think youre not taking care of yourself, that youre a dirty person. I was so ashamed.
Now, Im really happy. I started going to gym again, and I volunteer two days a week. I never would have done that before because I never felt confident enough with anybody seeing me. Sometimes I catch myself covering my mouth when I talk. That was my safety for four years, to cover my mouth. But I dont have to anymore.
Meet Anika! I come from a dark place of isolation from being a teenage runaway, to then being introduced to drugs which lead to my homelessness. That world I lived in was not kind or loving and for me I saw no way out. While I was on the street, I was told about a program called Thistle Farms, which is a two year, rent free place, that helps women like myself.
My life forever changed from community I was surrounded by at Thistle Farms. By the time I came into the program I had lost my teeth due to drugs and not having the money to go to the dentist. I thank God for loving people in the community who dont mind helping others out.
I had about four visits with them and the last visit I could not believe the person I saw in the mirror. It was me a beautiful, strong, survivor who has beat the odds. I cant stop smiling and others wonder why.