SmileHigh
"Healthy teeth, bigger smiles"
SmileHigh aims to increase the living standards of people in remote areas of Nepal by improving their dental health.
A radical change in diet, in particular a huge increase in refined sugar intake, is resulting in devastating levels of dental decay in children, particularly those who live in remote communities of Nepal where little or no dental services are available.
SmileHigh has drawn inspiration from the examples set by both Sir Edmund Hillary, who founded the Himalayan Trust which resulted in many schools and hospitals being established in remote regions of Nepal and Fred Hollows, an ophthalmologist whose visits to Nepal resulted in training programmes for local technicians to perform eye surgery. In effect, the sustainable approach and placing a key focus on empowerment of individuals within their own communities is the ethos which SmileHigh follows.
SmileHigh's dental efforts focus on education and preventative strategies delivered by Nepalese people themselves. To achieve this SmileHigh supports a team of Nepalese dental professionals, led by Dr Mingma Nuru Sherpa.
Julian is climbing Mt Manaslu in Nepal for SmileHigh
Julian has set a target of NZD$27,000 to raise for SmileHigh or NZD$1 for every foot that he climbs on Mt Manaslu.
Every $50 donated receives a ticket in a draw to win an Everest photo signed by Sir Edmund Hillary. A $100 donation will receive 3 tickets.
To donate please click here
In August 2009, Julian Haszard will lead a SmileHigh oral health team to the remote Samagon region of Nepal in conjunction with a medical and food-aid mission run by the United Nations World Food Programme. This region has never had professional dental support and the dental team, consisting of Nepalese clinicians trained by SmileHigh and overseas volunteer clinicians, will work for ten days providing basic oral health care to over 100 village people.
Following the oral health aid mission, Julian will join a six week expedition led by Russell Brice in an attempt to summit nearby Mt Manaslu, the world's eighth highest mountain. Julian aims to raise NZD$27,000 or NZD$1 for every foot of that he climbs of the 26,759 foot mountain in order to secure SmileHigh's funding until 2013 which will enable further dental aid missions to be undertaken.
Keep up with the latest news
Click here to read the latest news about Julian climbing - direct from the Taranaki Daily News of New Zealand