One World Many Smiles began with a memory that stayed with me long after I left the Philippines.
I grew up in the Philippines in a family that was not wealthy.
We would probably have been considered middle class. We didn't have a lot, but we had the things that mattered most to a child.
We had slippers for our feet. We had toothbrushes to brush our teeth. We had clean clothes to wear and a roof over our heads. We had the basic necessities.
At the time, I didn't fully understand how fortunate we were to have those simple things.
But even as a child, I noticed that many other children around me did not have what we had. Some children didn't have proper shoes or slippers. Some didn't have basic hygiene items. Some didn't have the school supplies they needed. And although these things may seem small, I could see that they made a difference in the lives of children.
I know what it feels like to grow up without having a lot. And I also know how much even the simplest things can mean when you don't have them.
That is why I created One World Many Smiles.
Those memories stayed with me.
I eventually came to the United States and built a life that I am grateful for. I have been blessed with opportunities that I could not have imagined when I was growing up in the Philippines.
And now, at this point in my life, I find myself asking a simple question:
What can I do with the time and opportunities I've been given?
The answer became clear to me.
I want to give back.
I have time now—lots of it—and I don't want that time to simply pass by. I want to use it to do something meaningful. I want to help children who may be growing up in circumstances similar to what I witnessed as a child.
“I believe that meaningful change doesn't always begin with something big.
Sometimes it begins with one child, one act of kindness, and one person deciding to help.”
— Geri, Founder of One World Many Smiles
