16 kids vs. 50…75…100 kids

The Simply Smiles Children’s Village has a capacity of 16 children. There is a tremendous need for our services. So why wasn’t the village built to serve more children?

It’s a question we get often. And trust me, the children we aren’t able to have live with us, live in our minds and hearts every day.

Gaby and me on a hike with the kids in the mountains of Oaxaca.

It's a fact that with our annual operating budget for the village, which provides exceptional care for 16 children, we could provide a lower standard of care for more children. It wouldn’t cost Simply Smiles more money, the cost would be paid by the children in what they need and wouldn’t receive.

That’s a truth that I’ve seen and that Gaby has personally lived.

Gaby, who is now the director of our children’s village, grew up in a group home as one of seventy children. I started Simply Smiles because I was inspired, and also deeply concerned, by my time as a volunteer there.

When we broke ground on the Simply Smiles Children’s Village in 2015, Gaby and I decided to care for children differently.

We wouldn’t repeat the “something is better than nothing” mantra that’s both pervasive and leaves so much wanting. But rather, we’d do something simple and radical, provide for the children in our care as you would your children–because they deserve nothing less.

Our combined experiences spoke loud and clear to us in determining that having more than 16 children in one setting would make it impossible to offer that kind of care. Not because of square footage or the size of our operating budget, but because in an environment with more children, it would be impossible to provide the personal, loving, attention and support the children need. And that would dramatically and negatively impact the rest of their lives.

It pains us to know that there are children out there who desperately need what we do. But it would pain us more to know that we were providing substandard care and as a result, causing immediate and long-term harm.

The positive results of our decision and our model have been remarkable.

The Simply Smiles Children’s Village is something we, our supporters, and the children are exceedingly proud of.

Today the village cares for 16 children. The village also acts as an outreach center providing services like food and medical aid to the children and families in the surrounding community.

Gaby and I desire nothing more than to build more Simply Smiles Children’s Villages, to duplicate our success, and provide the conditions that allow 32, 64…hundreds…of children to thrive.

We believe that day, and that impact, will come. And that you, our supporters will be there to help to make it happen.

But we’ve also learned another key lesson that will dictate when we scale and expand on our success. Our villages must be built around the right leader.

To work, the family-like model requires an absolutely exceptional person, with the right set of experiences, and the right heart to run the village. We found that in Gaby. She’s integral. She’s essential. She’s the CEO and a parental figure.

Maybe that next leader is living at our children’s village right now, receiving all she needs to grow up…and change the world around her.

Bryan

Field Notes from Mexico: An update from Gaby!

This special Field Note comes from Gaby Chavez Hernandez, the program manager of our Mexican operations. As many in the Simply Smiles community know, Gaby was raised at Casa Hogar in Oaxaca and eventually became the first Simply Smiles scholarship recipient, which allowed her to study and live in the U.S. She graduated from Sacred Heart University in May 2015 with a degree in Business Administration and has been an integral part of Simply Smiles efforts in Connecticut, the Reservation, and Mexico. Read the latest insights from Gaby and about our Mexican projects under Gaby's leadership.

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Gaby, pictured above, at our Center of Operations in Oaxaca, Mexico, which is where our children's home is located and also where we host volunteers for a portion of their week with us!

It has been more than three months since I returned to Oaxaca.

This new adventure started a little over a year ago when I finally decided to tell people that, after graduating from college, I wanted to join the Simply Smiles team. I was sure that I wanted to return to Oaxaca. After I made that announcement, I started to be fully aware of what I was getting into!

On July 7, 2015, I flew back to Oaxaca and somehow I felt strong and weak at the same time. I felt strong because I was confident in my decision. Over the seven years that I spent in Connecticut with Simply Smiles, I learned a lot about the management of the whole organization. But, at the same time, I felt weak because this was the first time that I fully realized that it was time to proceed to my next adventure in life. 

Since the day I returned to Oaxaca, I have learned a lot. I have faced many challenges. But, little by little, I am readjusting to my lifestyle back in Oaxaca. Soon after my arrival to Oaxaca, I started to manage some of the existing programs that Simply Smiles has here. 

During these three months, we have been working on building our own children’s home in Oaxaca City at our Center of Operations. For now, we are excited to welcome two children. The siblings moved from their village in southern Oaxaca, Santa Maria Tepexipana, to Oaxaca City to continue with their education. 

We have also been working on finishing up more dormitories and bathrooms for our new children's home at our Center of Operations.

The dorm rooms for the new children's home at the Center of Operations are taking shape, thanks to great people like our construction foreman Javier and our volunteers!

While we are trying to make sure that Ana and Jesús are doing well here in Oaxaca City, we are also making sure that the students from Santa Maria Tepexipana have enough school supplies to work with during this school year. We are also getting ready for our next distribution of food and a medical clinic event in November.

Preparations are in full swing for the November food distribution and medical clinic.

So, how am I doing overall?? At this point, I can say that I am doing great. However, "great" doesn’t mean that there haven’t been challenges while managing the work of Simply Smiles. But, during these challenges, I have adapted to the process and learned how to handle each situation. 

One of the greatest advantages that I have in this role is my ability to understand the cultural differences that exist in the U.S and Mexico. 

Besides taking on and managing my work responsibilities, I have had the opportunity to reconnect with my family. I have also reconnected with many of my friends, including my high school teachers. Each of them had encouraged me to do what I like and love to do. And after these three months, I am still happy and still excited for what I am doing back in Oaxaca. 

A few weeks ago, one of my high school professors told me, “The mark that you can make in this world is made by what you do in it, not by what you have in it." So, my hope for today is to make my own mark, and I hope to do it well. 

I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has followed and supported me. To my parents and siblings: thanks for understanding my decisions and for continuing to follow me on my adventures. 

To my extended family and friends back in the U.S: thank you for believing in me and for always encouraging me to keep discovering my potential and for your unconditional love despite our distance now.

To the Simply Smiles community: thank you for your continued support because it gives me confidence that, together, we can provide better opportunities for youth here in Oaxaca.

Each day, I try to believe in myself, and I hope to learn and grow with each choice that I make in this new role. And I look forward to sharing updates with you during the many steps of this adventure!