Smiles for Smileawi

SmileawiSmileawi was set up as a Raven Trust project in October 2012 after Nigel and Vicky Milne, two dentists from Dunoon , went to Malawi with John Challis to assess the dental services available in northern Malawi, accompanied by Clyde, a teddy bear  who helped to break the ice with many of their younger patients.

Since that first visit, Nigel and Vicky have returned to Malawi every year with a steadily growing team of dentists and dental nurses (though Clyde has retired in favour of Flossie!) They have raised funds to take their team out to Malawi and support them while there, received donated goods ranging from full dental suites and sterilisers to toothbrushes and bought more, much needed, dental equipment and supplies, including mobile dental chairs for outlying clinics and dental anaesthetic of which there is a great shortage in Malawi.

Smileawi has also set up prevention programmes in schools and gathers together dental therapists and assistants every year in a conference to discuss dental services and ways to improve this, offer training and distribute dental supplies.

Smileawi has now become a Registered Scottish Charity in its own right and we would like to congratulate Flossie, Nigel, Vicky and the rest of the team on passing this milestone. We wish them all the best with their future work which will still be in close association with the Raven Trust.