Name: Lorena Guasebe Moreno

Lorena is a graduate of the first Smiles Forever Dental Hygiene class in 2005. She is currently working in a private dental office in her home town.

"I feel very proud of what you are teaching me.  I'm so happy to be learning so much.  Nobody else could give us this opportunity to learn.  I appreciate you and I am so grateful to you because you have brought these people here to teach us, and because you talk to us with patience and love. Our mothers are not here with us and we don't have their warmth, but when you took to us lovingly..I think you are a mother to me."

Name: Sonia Sayari Candia

Age: 19 years

Birthday : March 14

Studies: Senior class

Background: She lost her parent before 12 years old and lived with her sisiter with a very bad relationship, pushing her to work and live in the Transitional house. She lived in the Madre de Dios shelter for 3 years.

“For me Smiles Forever is something amazing, unbelievable, that gives me the opportunity to improve myself, surpassing my expectations because they help me and support me in all kinds of ways in my life. It is hard for me to express these feelings and put it in words. I just look forward in my road and hope to not disappoint to program because I want to continue studying, and maybe someday I will became a dentist, my far and distant dream."

Name: Nayda Apata Rojas

Age: 16 years old

Birthday: June 19

Studies: High school. Two years left to finish school.

Background: She is part of a big family. Her mother, "who is the best mother of the world," was working watching a house, but the owners did not pay her for her job many years, and now we had to get a lawyer. Now her mother works selling fruit on the streets. Her father doesn't have any job now. She has three sisters; Mgaly, Susana, and Hyla, and three brothers; Grover, Jasmany and Alvaro. They all lived together. Her eldest sisters are working now to save money and maybe someday have the opportunity to study. Her eldest brother works as a guard, and the others go to the public school.

"I´m the luckiest one of my family to have this big opportunity to be part of this project, Smiles Forever. This program is really helpful because it helped me to grow like a person but also like the professional that I want to be. My main goal it is to become a dental hygienist and after that maybe to be a dentist, and to start like this with this program who support us so much it is really a big step. So for me this is not just a wish, this is a challenge because I don´t want to be one more I want to be the best, and like I always said, “I want to be a link on the health chain of my country.” One of my sisters wants to be a nurse, and I hope that one day she will be as lucky as I am know because I found Smiles Forever. I want to thank the people who help Smiles Forever because they help us to have a better life in the future."

Name: Jovana Medina

Age: 24

Birthday: November 26

Studies: Finished high school

Background: She has one 2-year-old son. She was living at the Shelter Madre de Dios for many years before she had her baby. She has one brother and one sister, all of them raised in the streets. Her mother is 53 years old and an alcoholic.

"My name is Yovana; I live with my brother, who rents a room. I wanted to rent a house by myself but I didn't have enough money to pay it. I´m having a really hard time with my family, especially with my mother because she wants me to live with my brother. So we have a lot of fights and every day is a battle. I try to buy some food, but can’t buy much because I work washing other people’s clothes and doing the cleaning in houses. I get just one dollar a day. I know that this is my duty but it is so frustrating to work every day and not have almost anything to eat when the day is finishing. Therefore since I start in Smiles Forever program I feel better because they help us to support our family, in fact it helps me to survive, and sometimes I can even save some money to use when my son is sick. I tell you this because once when my son was just 6 months old, he got very sick and stayed at the hospital. The worst part is that I was so desperate that I allowed a private doctor to treat him. So when I had to pay the bill that was really expensive I tried to get some help from the father of my baby but it was in vain. He just humiliate me. At this time just my mother and sister helped me to gather the money, so we work as usual during the day and at night we look at the garbage of the city trashes to find things that can be recycled. This was one of the most hard experiences that I will never forget. So that is why now I try to save at least 10 cents per month. My mother is alcoholic and lives in a tent. She left me at the shelter for many years but I just think she was trying to protect us. Her behavior is because of the hard life that she always had. I never met my father, but after all, I take all this experience to learn because I want my son to be successful in life and I will fight all my life to get this goal. For me, Smiles Forever is my big chance, is a dream that suddenly became true, because I will be a dental hygienist. And this is the opportunity to be someone and get a better job. I love the education that Smiles Forever gives us because they teach us how to talk, new words, how to express myself, and the most important thing is that for me is the perfect time to focus and concentrate on my education and forget the outside world. For this and more thanks from the deepest of my heart."

Name: Jhenny Yolanda Varga

Age: 24 years old

Birthday: September 19

Studies: Finished high school

Background: She is separate, have three girls. Her eldest, Aracelly, is 7 years old. Carla is 3 years old. And a 1 month baby girl. Lives by herself. She is 6 months in the program.

"I am a mother of three girls, I am independent, I have my parents and brothers living here in Cochabamba, but they don´t want me to be near them because they don´t agree with my decision of my separation, I mean that I end my relationship with the person that was living with me. I can tell you that I have worked in many things in the last years; I mostly used to wash other people’s clothes, or clean houses and sell things at the flea market that we have here. At the beginning I used to walk carrying the thing that I was selling until I met some friends who help me to have a permanent place to sell. But when I got pregnant with my third baby the situation became more difficult because I could hardly move to do all the jobs that I had. So one by one I quit them until I had no job and just stay at home resting. So the situation got worst. I had to pay the rent of the room were I and I got late to do this, and I needed money to buy some food and I couldn’t do anything. So my girls and me pass many days without eating. They asked me for food but I didn't have anything to give them; I felt like the worst mother of the world. I just wanted to die. One day I couldn't resist any more and I asked my parents to help me. Actually I begged them to have me and my girls in their house, but they hardly accepted us, saying they didn’t have enough space, so I built a tent next to their house, and there is were I actually live. The education that Smiles Forever is giving me is a blessing for me and I thank God and all the people who support this organization because I only have this chance to study and I love to be part of this incredible program. During the time that I´m in this program I learned many new things, I love to do cleanings and I want to be the best doing polishing and the best in all the rest that I still have to learn. I also am thankful for the incentive that the people who work here give us every day, not only with words but also with the money that they give to us because one day that money was a light that saved me. The first time that I get it I just bought food for my girls. Smiles Forever is the possibility to study and get some incentive, so it is a unique program in the world. I’m willing to learn to learn to be a dental hygienist. When I see my instructor working with me, teaching me, I just feel stronger and I want to learn all the new words, and all the details to be better. One day I want to be like my instructor or maybe better! To work in my own private office and do my work but also some day I dream to teach other people what I know, or some day teach to my little girls to be hygienists. I really wish that this dream becomes a reality and gives my family a better life, the life that they deserve, a small house to live in, and the possibility of a future with education to have a profession and to show my parents and brothers that I can go forward by myself. Maybe they will accept me with out holding a grudge. I have faith in God. I have a strong will to struggle against winds and tides with a smile, because now I have you. Thank you and God bless you always."

Name: Carolina Patricia Ayal Jimenez

Age: 20 years old

Birthday: December 21

Studies: Finished high school 2003

Background: She is in the first year of Smiles Forever

"I have a family with my Mother, Father and a younger sister.  I'm the oldest daughter so I have to help with the money at home because my father salary is really low.  He works helping building houses and my mother can't work because she has a back problem.  My sister go to school but helps some time too. Now I'm learning, I mean actually I"m being prepared by my instructors to be a dental hygienist, which is perfect for me since I started to work in a private  dental office last year.  I study with Smiles Foever in the morning and I work in the afternoon.  It is hard to learn so many lesson at the classes, every day new things to learn but Smiles Forever gives us good teacher and materials to understand better our lessons. I never thought that I would have a profession, and now that I have this option I know that in the future I have to help other girls that will be come, so I hope that Smiles Forever never stops, because they are making us better people."

Name: Flavia Cervantes Rojas

Age: 20 years old

Birthday: November 1

Studies: Finished high school

Background: She is attending Smiles Forever program and will graduate in 2006

"My name is Flavia Cervantes Rojas.I live in Cochobamba, Bolivia which is a very beautiful country. I am a student at Smiles Forever and am planning to finish this year. I just want to tell you that is very hard to express myself and everything that I feel in letter, and put my ideas in words, but this program saved my life.  I was someone in the world without a family, because the last person that I had was my grandmother and she died.  I started to live at the shelter Madre de Dios five years ago so I didn't have any experience of hope about life.  I just live everyday.  But one day I met a beautiful person; Sandy Kemper who trusted in me like nobody did and gave me this opportunity.  She and Smiles Forever changed my life. I used to live in a shelter where nobody was aware of me, now I live since this year at Smile Forever house that is the dream house, where I feel good and I have a lot of help.  And since this year I started to study in private school, because i use to study in public one, and at the beginning I didn't want this change but now I'm studying hard to be the best at this school, and I think I will make it. I want to be a dental hygienist to be a better person helping other people, and to sow everybody that I did it and other girls like me can do it too."

Name: Eduveiza Peidrola Malala

Age: 19 years old

Birthday: March 12

Studies: Finished school 2006

Background:  She lived at the Madre de Dios shelter for almost 3 years, now lives at the transitional center.She graduated from Smiles Forever and is working as a dental hygienist.  She goes to school in the morning and works at a dental office in the afternoon.

"Hi, my name is Eduveiza. I am a dental hygienist from Smiles Forever Program. I am 19 years old and I born in the state of Beni that is in Bolivia. I have one sister, she is 18, and two brothers that are 12 and 10 years old.I have my parents but they became separated almost 6 years ago. At that time the separation didn't mean anything for me because I never spend time with my father, we didn't have a normal relationship like a father/daughter, he never talk to me, he was never at home. But now i see family walking at the street I feel like a bit hole inside of me. When I was 13 I came to Cochabamba to live at the shelter Madre de Dios where I met Sandy Kemper who trusted in me and gave the opportunity to be a dental hygienist. Since that moment my life change. I started to forget the bad days and start to look forward. Now after three years I have a profession. I can work with dignity and look forward to the next goals, finishing school and live by myself. I will never finish thanking Smiles Forever to support me because not even my parents did it, but Smiles too care of me and after on many years they still does helping me at the dream house. I don't see my parents since 6 years and 2 months but the amazing thing is that I couldn't find my mother to talk her by phone two months ago and it was a big step for me to make this contact with my family. I look at the future and I wish to help another people like Smiles did it with me, and I just can say that I hope the best for those who help us from far away.  God Bless you and return to you three time more the blessings that you gave me. Thank you."

Name: Susana Felicidad Choque Manuel

Age: 17 years old

Birthday: February 28

Studies: Finished school 2003

Background: She is attending her first year at the Smiles Forever Program in the afternoon class. She is living at the Madre de Dios shelter since last year.

"Hi, I am Susana, I was born on February 28, 1998 so I am 17 years old. I all ready finished high school studies last year (2003). I have 4 youngest Brothers. They Elias, Alexander, Jimmy, and Hervert, and a younger sister Brenda. All of them attending at the public school but less Hervert that he is only three years old, My father Santiago is 39 years old works actually at the mines in La Paz city. My mothers name is Filomena she is 37 years old she just sell things on street or some times at the flea market. All my family live in La Paz, but not at the mail city they live at a small town that is the place where the mines are. Actually I’m living in Cochabamba because I had some family problems last year, but I still miss my family very much. I’m living at shelter called Madre de Dios, and to survive I works in the morning at a at a embroider store that is a part time job because I’m at the Smiles Forever Program at the afternoon, so I have a very low income, but that is not important right now, the important thing is that I’m part of this hygienist program, and I thanks God to gave me this opportunity. When I was finishing school I was thinking study to be a doctor but it was a impossible dream for me to the second option was to study to be a biology teacher, but this was only with the idea to help the others around me. I just want to study to serve the people who most need my help, but in Bolivia is very hard to study, most of the people is like me, I must find work to eat. Now I’m studying to be a dental hygienist that I think a beautiful profession because it is helpful you meet people, share your knowledge, and you work with children and adult, but is really hard for me to explain in words what is really means to me to be someone in this life and have a profession. I think so much about the Director of the program who found this program for us. I just want to be just a very small part like her, so kind, and responsible and the other people who shares their time and knowledge with us here in Bolivia. I saw the amazing works that develops Smiles Forever in my country, and through the wonderful things that I can make every day working at the dental office that we have at the shelter that is my dream, to be a professional, to work helping and my goal is to make a real life. I want to help my family too. I pray every day to god to take care of them because the mine is very dangerous, every day they have to deal with the stones that break down and many men had been bury and squash by this, or the very cold that is inside the mine. I want to see my parents old and safe, and see my brothers and sisters like big professional people to have a decent life. Therefore, I’m here trying to do this ideal life now, I have faith in God, because he put Smiles Forever in my road of life and this is just the beginning. Thank you Smiles Forever!”

Name: Alicia Orellana

Age: 20 years old

Birthday: November 17

Studies: Finish high school this year (2005)

Background: She lived at Shelter Madre de Dios for three years and currently at the transitional center. Alicia has had two open heart operations

“I want to share with you the story about my life. I used to live in a small town call Phuyuasi, Bolivia until I was nine years old. By that time I realize long time ago that something was wrong with my health. My parents took me to see a doctor, and he told us that my heart was wrong and I will die before I reach nineteen years old. This changed our lives. We moved to a bigger town so my parents can work and get money to see another doctor. They were trying there two years until they decide to go to the city. I mean to one of the main cities of my country. They were supposed to come back in a year, but they didn’t. Day by day I feel worse, I was with my younger sister, and we were close but my grandmother that was the person who was to take care of us didn’t want us. So after five years my grandmothers’ friend brings my sister and I to live at the Shelter Madre de Dios where the nuns will take care of us.) At Madre de Dios things start to change and get better. The nuns had the possibility to pay for an operation that will save my life. I had the operation in 2002 but after some time I felt like the doctor just put something to smooth my pain and I still felt very sick. I knew I had to trust and that things will be better and that was the time when I met Sandra Kemper. She proposes to me to start with the program to be a dental hygienist and I decide to do it and to put all my effort to get this goal. I was so excited; this was something completely new like another world that this person was making real for me. But one afternoon at the class I didn’t feel very well and I fainted. Mrs. Sandra Kemper didn’t work alone; she got the resources to have a new surgery because the last one was not enough. This was really hard to me, I was afraid just remembering the post-surgery that I had before. I decide to be strong and not fail, and especially don’t disappoint Sandy. So I get a new operation on 2003 and it was successful, now I feel healthy and alive. I feel very powerful, and the best thing is that I have all these good people around me. Mrs. Sandy, all the staff that works to teach us, and all the friend’s that I meet at the shelter too. Sandy show me the light, I will have enough thanks for her. I want to “thank” all the people that live in the USA and I am sure e God will recognize your kindness. Now I have everything one day I dream of love, health, food, friends, and a profession. I know that hope is the last thing to lose. Now I am on my last year of high school attending in mornings, I get graduate last year from Smiles Forever program. I am a dental hygienist now and I am working with a dentist in private office. My sister is studying and my parents appear after six years and they are living in Phuyuasi working the ground.”