The Smile Foundation of

Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...

(Yayasan Senyum) is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

organisation in Bali that helps people with

craniofacial Craniofacial (''cranio-'' combining form meaning head or skull + ''-facial'' combining form referring to the facial structures grossly) is an adjective referring to the parts of the head enclosing the brain and the face. The term is typically used ...

disabilities Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...

obtain health care. ''Senyum'' means ''smile'' in

Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...

and ''yayasan'' means 'foundation' or 'institute'. The Smile Foundation facilitates operations for

cleft lip and palate A cleft lip contains an opening in the upper lip that may extend into the nose. The opening may be on one side, both sides, or in the middle. A cleft palate occurs when the palate (the roof of the mouth) contains an opening into the nose. The ...

and other craniofacial

deformities A deformity, dysmorphism, or dysmorphic feature is a major abnormality of an organism that makes a part of the body appear or function differently than how it is supposed to. Causes Deformity can be caused by a variety of factors: *Arthritis an ...

, due to

birth defects A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can ...

accidents An accident is an unintended, normally unwanted event that was not directly caused by humans. The term ''accident'' implies that nobody should be blamed, but the event may have been caused by unrecognized or unaddressed risks. Most researcher ...

, or

tumours A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...

. The organisation helps poor people from Bali,

Lombok Lombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east. It is rou ...

and further east, and raises funds for operations whether in Bali or

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

at the Australian Craniofacial Unit. ''Yayasan Senyum'' received a generous grant of US$2,500 from

The Smile Train Smile Train is a nonprofit organization and charity providing corrective surgery for children with cleft lips and palates. Headquartered in New York City and founded in 1999, Smile Train provides free corrective cleft surgery in 87 countries, t ...

to enable the foundation to advertise the fact that cleft conditions can be treated and that it is able to assist people to get that treatment.

History

''The Smile Foundation of Bali'' was founded in 2005 by Mary Northmore-Aziz at the suggestion of Dr. David David from the Australian Craniofacial Unit, to identify those in need of craniofacial surgery. Dr. David David has continued his association as the chief adviser to the foundation. In December 2006 the foundation opened the "Smile Shop", which was the first Op shop in Bali. It provides a source of income for the foundation through the sale of secondhand goods and old stock from local businesses. After extensive

fundraising Fundraising or fund-raising is the process of seeking and gathering voluntary financial contributions by engaging individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies. Although fundraising typically refers to efforts to gathe ...

, the "Smile House" was opened in January, 2007, in

Denpasar Denpasar (; Balinese script, Balinese: ᬤᬾᬦ᭄ᬧᬲᬃ) is the capital of Bali and the main gateway to the island. The city is also a hub for other cities in the Lesser Sunda Islands. With the rapid growth of the tourism industry in Bali ...

. The Smile House provides accommodation and educational facilities, in particular for those from outlying areas.

Background

In many countries, craniofacial disabilities are treated shortly after birth. This is not necessarily the case in Bali. Craniofacial disabilities are not only disfiguring, but can also lead to difficulties with

nutrition Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficient n ...

and communication. As such, treatment is essential. However, treatment is not just expensive, but it can involve extensive travel from the individual's home environment as well a complex bureaucratic process. This is exacerbated by a number of factors: many of the people requiring treatment are poor, often

illiterate Literacy in its broadest sense describes "particular ways of thinking about and doing reading and writing" with the purpose of understanding or expressing thoughts or ideas in written form in some specific context of use. In other words, hum ...

and they may not speak

. Thus not only do they have trouble paying for treatment (which may also involve accommodation and travel expenses), but when they arrive for treatment they have trouble completing admission forms and understanding the processes which need to be undertaken. In addition, many patients have not previously left their home villages, making the experience particularly difficult and traumatic, which is strengthened by the social isolation caused by their disabilities.

Activities

The foundation provides pre- and post-operative support and helps to organise treatment for people suffering from craniofacial disabilities. Part of this involves identifying those in need, both in Bali and the surrounding

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

n islands, as per David David's initial request. Once identified, the patients are sent either to the Sanglah General Hospital or the Dharma Husada Hospital in Denpasar, or, in the more serious cases, to the Australian Craniofacial Unit at the

Women's and Children's Hospital The Women's and Children's Hospital is located on King William Road in North Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the major hospitals in Adelaide and is a teaching hospital of the University of Adelaide, the University of South Australia and Flin ...

in Adelaide,

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

. This may involve organising visas, passports and flights for the patients. For patients being treated in Denpasar, the Smile House provides accommodation, as well as educational services to the parents — in particular as regards post-operative care.

Funding and operation

Much of the funding comes from donations from both individuals and organisations. For example, the Australian Consulate General in Bali, working with the Smile Foundation, provided funding for seventy children to have craniofacial surgery in 2006. Charity events, such as Adam Gyorgy's piano performance in 2006, are also important to the foundation. In November 2011, the Commonwealth Bank WTA tennis tournament in Bali will raise money for the charity auctioning works of art of participating artists such as Joël BLANC. Additional funds are raised the Smile Shop, which sells secondhand goods, largely from expatriates, but also increasingly old stock from local shops and linen from hotels. The Smile Shop is staffed entirely by volunteers. The foundation is run by three paid employees, based at their office in the Smile House. In addition, Mary Northmore-Aziz is the chairperson, with Dr. David David and Dr A. A. Asmarajaya listed as advisers. The board includes Dr A. A. Asmarajaya, Denise Finney, Eko Prabowo and Sarita Newson.

References

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External links