Birthday Fundraiser – Right 2 Smile

This year for my birthday coming up on the 2nd of February I would like to raise funds for a local organisation which I form part of as a volunteer and for this reason is close to my heart - Right 2 Smile. The money collected will go towards local projects in Malta.

The organisation and the local projects

Right 2 Smile (R2S) is a Maltese NGO (VO/0583 ) that brings together responsible volunteers with community development projects all over the world. The organisation currently manages three projects locally in St. Lucija, Valletta and Programm Tbissima in Marsa directly impacting the lives of over 50 children and young people, and several volunteers mentoring young people.

R2S youth projects are a combination of a semi-structured youth club coupled with a mentorship programme. The projects are managed by paid staff overseeing all the logistical aspects of the project working hand in hand with volunteers serving as mentors to the attending young people.

R2S believes that through the creation of its projects, the offering of such safe spaces, and the engagement of the young population, the children and youth will have a space to call their own and a place where they can find a healthy second family where they belong.

R2S also strives to fully fund the project, so that neither the project participants nor their families will have to pay any money. Such projects usually tend to attract young people from vulnerable families. Covering costs, be they for resources needed during the sessions or expenses related to outings happening throughout the year, will ensure that money will never be an obstacle stopping them from receiving a decent service.

Background and other projects
Right 2 Smile's journey started in Kenya in 2012, where the first groups of volunteers started projects on the Maasai land. Together with the local community, the needs of the locals were discussed and sustainable solutions were sought. This same approach was then applied in India and Cambodia. The ultimate aim of these initiatives is to empower locals with the skills, beliefs and facilities to become self-sustainable projects serving the current and future members of these communities. Volunteers returning from these projects were eager to continue the spirit of altruism they had developed in their voluntary work abroad and started collaborating with the organisation to set up some local projects with which they could get involved and involve others.

Contact & More info
For more information, visit www.right2smile.org or get in touch via email on [email protected].

A big thank you for anything you can contribute to this fundraiser. It would make my day!