In 2012, Dr. Simoens participated in a mission trip hosted by Kindness in Action to Costa Rica, in the company of her sister and her brother in law, a fellow dentist.
About This Mission
My trip to costa Rica in 2012 was a very special one. I had the pleasure of travelling and working with my older sister and her husband, my Brother-inLaw, who is also a dentist. It was the first time either of them had travelled abroad for the purpose of volunteering their time and services to help those in need. This was my third mission trip (preceded by Peru and Guatemala), and my third time travelling with Kindness in Action.
About Kindness In Action
Kindness in Action is a Canadian non-profit charitable organization whose primary goal is to provide dental health services to under-privileged people all around the world. The organization started in 1993, under the direction of Dr. Amil Shapka of St. Paul, Alberta.
It has now grown to over 200 volunteers and fully embraces its motto "delivering compassionate care while respecting the dignity of those in need."
» Learn More About Kindness In Action
Healthy Smiles in Costa Rica
We had the opportunity to work in the same village each day. The rewarding aspect of this mission was the fact that many of the children already had fillings and had received oral hygiene instruction before. Many parents had already been seen by groups such as ours and knew how to teach their children to care for their teeth.
There was less need for our care in the village when compared to other areas I've worked in the past. (KIA had been visiting this region yearly). It was so satisfying to see that this organization and the efforts of volunteers just like us actually had an impact on this community. We not only had an opportunity to provide treatment to those in need, we also had the privilege of seeing the long term effects of such visits.
View Photos from This Mission
