The Hope Smiles Uganda team moved to a new, larger location within Jinja in November 2015. While the space is a huge blessing to the team and the patients that receive treatment, there is still work to be done. Please consider supporting the build-out of the clinic to ensure the team can best serve the needs of the patients they see.

Proper equipping of the new clinic space -- adding more stable electricity, water supply, cabinetry, shelving and equipment -- will make our Jinja clinic a first rate training site for new dentists in Uganda. There is currently only one dental school in Uganda -- Makerere University in Kampala, which has a five year program. After graduation from Makerere University, each student is required to complete an internship year before entering the dental workforce. Beginning later this year our Jinja clinic will become an internship site for these recent graduates during their intern year -- and we strive to make our clinic the best place for Ugandans to develop and refine and practice the skills they were trained for in dental school! We believe the best way to impact dental health in Uganda is through empowering Ugandans to do it -- and our clinic strives to do just that!

Recently our clinic purchased a generator. Power is not consistent here in Uganda, and if it goes out, the work we can do is limited to just extractions and gross cleanings. This generator is powerful enough to change that -- allowing us to be fully operational even when the power is out. Thankfully, because of the nature of the work we do in the community, the dealer has allowed us to pay bit by bit as the money becomes available. The total cost of the generator is 10 million Uganda Shillings, which is about $3000

The team would also like to build a small playground on the clinic compound. Ten or more children often come to the clinic at a time, and it would be great if the children had something to occupy their time while waiting to be treated by the dentist!