"When I was young and free
and my imagination had no limits,
I dreamed of changing the world.
As I grew older and wiser,
I discovered the world would not change,
So I shortened my sights somewhat
And decided to change only my country.
But it, too, seemed immovable.
As I grew into my twilight years,
in one last desperate attempt,
I settled for changing only my family,
Those closest to me, but alas,
They would have none of it.
And now as I lie on my deathbed,
I suddenly realized...
If only I had changed myself first,
then, by example
and I would have changed my family.
From their inspiration and encouragement,
I would then have been able to better my country.
And, who knows,
I may have even changed the world."
Anonymous
Well, ok.....we don't need to change the world to make a meaningful contribution. Although in some areas it may be a worthwhile objective!!!! But no matter how small, any contribution is certainly worthwhile.
With our busy lives, financial pressures, family commitments we often wonder where we can find those few extra moments to commit to causes that we know are so worthwhile. Rotary clubs, Lions clubs and a plethora of charities confront us for assistance and contribution almost every day. These all do spectacular jobs, and the commitment shown by the people involved is extraordinary. When we give to these organizations, we like to be assured that our money is going directly to those for which it is being raised, and hope that the minimum amount goes in administration to get it there.
However, with the ability to be able to travel the world, we often see circumstances that we do not normally see in our own neighborhood at home.
The philosophy of The Land of Smiles Foundation is to be able to contribute directly 100 percent of the money to those in need. In Thailand and other areas of Southeast Asia, it is possible to provide first-class medical care, dental care, or meaningful education at a fraction of the cost that we experience in western countries.
As an example, to be all to provide something like orthodontic braces in Thailand costs around about US$700. This compares to a figure of US$5,000 or more in America. A new wheelchair can be provided for about US$115. First class medical care or surgery can be provided at an internationally acclaimed hospital, also at a fraction of the cost of similar procedures elsewhere in the western world.
Our Vision
While the foundation provides money directly for worthwhile causes to recipients who would otherwise have no chance of assistance, it seeks to use the marketing philosophies taught by the founder, (particularly that of credibility and leverage), to get others involved and duplicate its benefits.
By way of example, suppose the foundation can make a substantial difference to the life of a child with appropriate dental care. A simple enough procedure that would cost, say $700. As with all organizations, capital to provide this benefit from the foundation is limited. But what if a school, and individual, a club, a family, a company or even a group of neighbors decided to all get together and raise $700 for the direct 100 percent contribution towards providing this care. That individual, or family or school or club or organization can directly correspond and be kept up-to-date on the progress and well being of the individual. But what could also happen is that a school or a company could use this opportunity to inform all of their excitement of what they have done to customers, clients, staff or school children and parents. If it were a company or a school for example, what a great opportunity it would be for them to raise further money to send a representative to Thailand to personally meet with the recipient and all of those involved locally.
No, this would not be a waste of further capital, which could otherwise be used to provide money for other projects. The idea of this visit would be for that representative to return to the community to speak to other schools, or companies, or local community groups. They could show them that they could do the same thing, and undertake what would normally be a large project, for a nominal amount of money. Yet they would be making a huge difference. Maybe by one school or company getting involved, they could go back encourage10 or 20 others to do the same.
We see this as particularly beneficial for schools to help teach children the importance of having, and living by extraordinary values. Similarly, what a great marketing opportunity for any company of any size, whether it be a one-person operation working from home, or a large multinational organization allowing individual divisions to take pride in such a project. A great staff incentive would be to find the person that would later visit Thailand, or the neighboring country, to meet with and review the benefits given to the recipient of their generosity.
We also see the ability to be of assistance to other fund-raising organizations in Thailand, and surrounding countries, to get access to capital from overseas which they would otherwise find normally hard to achieve. We are already working on a number of projects in this regard.
Please feel free to review the projects and resources in this web site and we invite you to contact us if you have any comments or suggestions. We hope your day is full of smiles.
