In the quiet village of Kihingo, nestled at the edge of Mau Forest in Nakuru County, clean water was once a luxury we never knew. Like many others in rural Kenya, we fetched water from a dam used not only for drinking, but also for laundry, livestock, and daily chores. It wasn’t until years later that we discovered this water, though "cleaned" with common detergents, contained high levels of fluoride, silently staining the teeth of nearly every child in our village.
For many of us, the brown discoloration felt normal until we moved to cities and faced stigma. I, Paul, remember classmates mocking my smile, telling me to swallow groundnuts before speaking, or laughing when I opened my mouth. I began to hide behind my hand, my words, and eventually, behind silence.
But years later, after a long journey including a risky and unsafe attempt to fix my teeth in a slum, I finally received professional treatment at Arrow Dental, thanks to a student-turned-dentist. It changed more than my smile. It rekindled my confidence.
That day, on the bus ride home, I thought about all the children still growing up like I did, ashamed of their smiles, unsure of their worth. And that’s where the Tabasamu Initiative was born.
Together with my close friend Daniel, who had his own painful experiences from being mocked by a student “the music teacher with dirty teeth” to hurtful comments from someone he dated “you are very handsome but once you smile you become ghetto” we began a mission to restore not just teeth, but dignity. Miriam, our team member, also suffered the effects of fluorosis, even being nicknamed “Brownie” in school. She, too, stopped smiling in photos as a teenager. Stories like ours are far too common.
Through Tabasamu Mtoto, we now visit schools, provide dental education, distribute oral care kits, and most importantly offer hope. Our goal is to normalize conversations about fluorosis, fight stigma through awareness, and give children the confidence to smile freely, proudly, and without shame.
Because Every Child Deserves to Smile
From a village dam to modern dental clinics, from stigma to strength, this journey is personal and it’s only just begun.
Help us reach more children. One smile at a time. One story at a time.