Operation Smile Ambassador Carmit Bachar Visits Bolivia Site
Bolivia: Santa Cruz - November 9, 2007
Local volunteers make an extraordinary effort to make the mission run smoothly and the Bolivian volunteers in Santa Cruz were no exception. The Bolivian volunteers and high school students went out of their way not only to welcome the international volunteers but to work tirelessly behind the scenes. I’m not screening would have been possible without the “fix it” help of Susie and Juana who were there at the beginning and end of each screening day and every moment in between with a smile on their face making it happen.
Also on our mission team as guest participants were Carmit Bachar of the Pussycat Dolls and her team Dina Van Minnen, Filipo Loco, Cheray O’Neal and Lee Cherry. During screening, this creative team organized stations for the kids of: face and body painting, bookmaking (complete with a digital photo printer) and crafts (weavings, butterflies, etc.). There was also music and dance for the kids. The amount of care and forethought that went into the planning by the creative team was enormously evident and much appreciated by the crowds of ebullient children surrounding the creative stations and lining up for the face and body painting. On its own, this creative team developed a new role for creative participants and worked tirelessly engaging the children, some of whom waited through a long day of screening.
The international team hails from 19 states in the US and from Canada, Colombia and Bolivia.
- Mary Ellen Shuttleworth, Operation Smile volunteer
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My view on the whole organisation is that such an operation CAN change someone’s life forever,i personally i take a lot for granted, i’ve not been well for the past few days, i’ve been sick a few times and i think wow i feel awful but its nothing compared to other people in the world there are children suffering and my parents give money to charity and its totally worth it, even if it doesnt mean me getting a new phone for christmas! So, me without a phone is a child with a smile and you can ask me anyday is it worth it and everytime my answer will be 100% YES!!! Way to go operation smile, p-s- Im a big Carmit fan, go carmit bachar yay!