1000 Smiles Project Visits SPC “Jamerican” Family

Jamaica (Dental), News, Study Abroad

Joe & Dr LawSPC’s partner for the Jamaica Dental Hygiene Study Abroad program, Great Shape! Inc.’s 1000 Smiles Project, paid a visit to SPC in mid-July. The 1000 Smiles Project director and executive team came to St Petersburg to buy supplies for the Jamaica experience and also to see America. Several of them have never been out of Jamaica, and through the friendships we established while visiting Jamaica and sharing stories they wanted to come and visit. We invited them back to stay with us and to experience our life as they have shared theirs with us while visiting them over the years. These are the people we work with day to day while in Jamaica. We are their “Jamerican family” as they put it.

Five people came and stayed with us:

  • Program director and CEO of Great Shapes-1000 Smiles “Papa Joe” Joseph Wright, an American native who relocated to Jamaica and started the 1000 Smiles project,
  • Sali-Jo Walker, a registered hygienist who sits on the regional Board committee  (which includes Florida) and runs the clinical portion of the Jamaica experience and is the director of every day operation in Jamaica,
  • Danielle Jones, a hygiene student who helps with supply distribution and paper work while in Jamaica, and
  • Oshane and Roshane Dennis, who run sterilization, set up, and break down of the clinics throughout Jamaica and repair all our equipment while we are working on a daily basis in Jamaica.

Their visit was quite a humbling experience for us. The things we take for granted that they got so excited about and appreciated, little things like “hot and cold water that doesn’t run out while showering”, plastic plates and cups they picked out of the garbage to bring home, the dollar store, pencils, pens. A store like Walmart really exists. The SPC Health Education Center, all the classrooms, clinic and programs, they were all so intrigued by each and every program that they were exposed to.

They most enjoyed and appreciated the warm welcome they received by all; they felt like “movie stars”. They couldn’t believe people would go out of their way to meet them, even SPC President Dr. Law came by and spent time with them. It strengthened the bond between SPC and Great Shape!, Inc. and they hope to expand more opportunities for SPC to come to their country and study and learn.