Bringing Smiles to Bolivia:

Thank you all so much for visiting this blog and helping to change the lives of children through Operation Smile.

As you may know, I'm going to Santa Cruz, Bolivia on an Operation Smile medical mission from October 5th to the 16th. I'm extremely excited and honored to be a student volunteer!! Operation Smile provides life-changing facial reconstructive surgeries to children born with cleft lips and cleft palates in third world countries.

That is where I am going !!!

My role on the mission will be to teach Burn care and Prevention, Oral Rehydration Therapy, Oral and Dental Hygiene, and Nutrition in local hospitals, schools, orphanages, and villages in Bolivia. I will also be responsible for spending time with patients before and after their surgeries.


I will be leaving on the 5th of October and will be spending approximately 2 weeks there. Bolivia is a landlocked country in South America and is bordered by Chile, Brazil, and Paraguay. My mission is going to be half run by Operation Sonrisa Bolivia, the Operation Smile foundation in Bolivia and by international volunteers. I am collecting items to take to the kids of Bolivia. Anything will help, but I’ve put together the following list of supplies that I need in particular.


Operation Smile changes lives in about 45 minutes and $240 dollars. Through your donations to those who have so little, you too, can change a life. Your support in providing any of the listed or not listed items will be so priceless. Thank you in advance for all your support!


SUPPLY LIST FOR MISSIONS


White paper on a roll to make a mural
Baby Toys
o Light weight
o Plastic rings that you put on triangle
Children Toys
o Coloring pages
o Toy cars
o Pipe cleaners, string, lanyard for friendship bracelets
o Beaded Necklaces
o Cards: Old Maid, regular
o Magazines (for the older girls)
o Face paint
o Soccer balls and a small pump
o Twister
o Jenga
o Plastic Turtles
o Toothbrushes
o Stickers, Stickers, Stickers!*
o YOYOS
o Sidewalk chalk
o Pipe cleaners
o Toy sunglasses
o Bubbles Bubbles Bubbles bubbles*
o Pens, pencils
o Small notepads/journals
o Inflatable balls (Specifically globes are a hit)
o Hair accessories (barrettes, headbands, etc)
o Small stuffed animals
o Latex gloves
o Small play jewelry
o Crowns
o Hats
o ANYTHING that lights up
o Leis
o Basically anything that can be found in the dollar store

You can also help by:


• Donating (I can use the money to go buy the supplies I don’t get donated)
• Spreading the word through Facebook, Blogs, Twitter, word of mouth.
• Making “Get well soon” cards for the children after they receive their surgery
• If you have any other ideas, please let me know! I’ll be taking anything and everything that I can pack in my weight limits (50 lbs.)

 

I appreciate all of your support and all of the donations. I am super excited to bring them to the children in Bolivia. Everything you provide will be put to great use and I will post the many pictures of the children playing and enjoying the great donations. Thank you so much.

Rachael