Simply Smiles

Providing Integrated Support to the Poor of Oaxaca, Mexico

Location: Oaxaca, Mexico

Simply Smiles: Grantee in 2015

Like many Project Redwood grantee organizations, Simply Smiles was formed by a young entrepreneur who witnessed the devastating impact of poverty and decided to do something about it. In 2004, Bryan Numberger of Connecticut bought a school bus, filled it with donations, and drove it to a children’s home he’d stumbled upon while traveling in Mexico. Since then, his work with the poor of Oaxaca has continued. Today, Simply Smiles provides education, food aid, health care, and agricultural support to the rural and urban poor of Oaxaca.

Simply Smiles is committed to eradicating parasitic roundworm infections in a population of over 3,000 individuals in the southern mountain villages of Oaxaca. Infection rates are as high as 74% in certain village clusters, with an overall infection rate of 50% in children.

Infected persons develop distended abdomens as a result of thousands of parasitic roundworms living, growing and multiplying in their stomachs and intestines. Infection results in extreme discomfort, lethargy, and weakness. The parasites consume nutrients, resulting in malnourishment, iron deficiency anemia, stunted growth and impaired cognitive development. If left untreated, an infected individual is at risk of death caused by blocked intestinal passages.

Simply Smiles uses a World Health Organization medication distribution protocol to treat the roundworm, and couples that with education and construction of sanitary latrines with hand washing stations to eliminate the disease.

Project Redwood’s grant funded medication, latrine construction, and program administrative expenses.

For more information, see: http://simplysmiles.org.

GRANT SUMMARY AND PURPOSE

2015: $25,000 to purchase medication for 3,000, construct five sanitary latrines with hand-washing stations, and pay for program travel and administrative expenses

IMPACT

Roundworm eradication in a population of 3,000