Global Smile Foundation (GSF) volunteers have been involved with humanitarian cleft programs in Ecuador for more than 3 decades and we are now the largest provider of comprehensive cleft care in Ecuador. Throughout this time, we have maintained relationships with our patients and their families, many of whom have grown up to volunteer with us and one has even joined our staff as a full-time employee.
GSF supports a Comprehensive Cleft Center at Hospital León Becerra to provide a full range of integrated and interdisciplinary cleft care throughout the year, at no cost to all patients and their families. The center is managed by Fundación Global Smile-Ecuador, established in 2012 to ensure the sustainability of GSF’s humanitarian work.
As GSF and Fundación Global Smile-Ecuador have grown, so has the awareness of our humanitarian cleft care outreach programs. To meet the needs of the patient population, GSF added a second annual outreach medical program in 2016.
GSF is grateful to the Gobierno del Guayas for their partnership and support that have been critical to the success of our outreach cleft programs and comprehensive cleft care in Ecuador.

The volunteer team from the second week of the March program.

Hospital León Becerra, dedicated to pediatric care for children and families of low socioeconomic status. The hospital is managed by the Benemérita Sociedad Protectora de la Infancia, an institution devoted to serving the children of Guayaquil.
Most Recent Trip: September 03-15, 2024
Impact
Cleft care provided includes:
- 231 Patient screenings
- 118 Surgical and Dental procedures for 75 patients under General Anesthesia
- 152 Psychosocial interventions 76 patients
- 75 Nutrition & Feeding consults
- 79 Speech and Language sessions
- 152 Dental Procedures for 96 patients
- 128 Dental hygiene kits distributed
The GSF & GSF-Ecuador Teams
Our team included:
- 14 Surgeons (2 GSF-Ecuador)
- 2 Surgery Trainees
- 11 Anesthesia (3 GSF-Ecuador)
- 1 Anesthesia Trainee
- 1 CRNA
- 9 OR Nurses ( 2 GSF-Ecuador)
- 6 PACU Nurses
- 1 Periop Nurse (1 GSF-Ecuador)
- 3 Pediatricians
- 8 Dentists (7 GSF-Ecuador)
- 3 Psychologists (GSF-Ecuador)
- 3 Nutritionists (GSF-Ecuador)
- 1 Speech Pathologist (GSF-Ecuador)
- 10 Admin Coordinators (5 GSF-Ecuador)
- 1 Photographer
- 1 IT Coordinator
- 2 Medical Engineer
- 2 Volunteers (83 GSF-Ecuador)