Celebrate National Smile Day with COFI

For years, doctors and scientists have emphasized the importance of laughter, happiness and smiles in order to remain physically and mentally healthy, but did you know that there’s a full day dedicated to smiling?

 

Every May 31^st, people around the world celebrate National Smile Day, where everyone is encouraged to wear their best smile.

 

The holiday was founded by Dr. Tim Stirnemann and Jim Wojdyla in 2018.

 

For National Smile Day, observers are encouraged to share photos of their smiles on social media by using the hashtag #NationalSmileDay.

 

Smiles are infectious, so go out there and make someone else’s day better.

 

 

COFI’s Efforts to Put Smiles on Children’s Faces

 

Every day, the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International (COFI) works to put smiles on children’s faces in poor regions around the world.

 

The organization is particularly active in Nigeria, South Sudan, Chad, Liberia, India, Cambodia, Haiti, Malawi, Burundi and Ethiopia, where it reaches out to support vulnerable children and families.

 

The purpose of the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International is to reduce child poverty, ensure access to health care and education and distribute Christian materials. The overall outcome is happy, smiling children with a prosperous future ahead of them.

 

Pastor Chris Oyakhilome has always put the well-being of children first, which he not only made clear by establishing the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International but also the InnerCity Mission for Children, which is a faith-based non-governmental humanitarian organization under the auspices of COFI.

 

The InnerCity Mission for Children was founded by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome in 2004, when he made the profound statement, “Every Child is your Child.”

 

He went on to say:

 

“They are our extension; they are our future. No matter how dirty or untouchable they are, think again, one day you were just that small, but you were fortunate to have someone help you, many of these are fortunate to have us if we would only open our hearts, our minds, our eyes and ignore them no more.”

 

“We need to help give them a home, we need to help give them an education, we need to help cloth them. As small as they are, as needy as they are, as frustrated as they are, they have dreams, we can help make those dreams come true,” Pastor Chris Oyakhilome added.

 

 

 

Helping in Crises Around the World

 

Over the years, the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International and the InnerCity Mission for Children have helped thousands of people living in poverty all over the world.

 

Food and medical help was, for instance, sent to the victims of Cyclone Idai in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi in 2019, while the Chris Oyakhilome Foundation International donated food relief packages to people affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

 

Refugees in South Sudan and Nigeria have also received food, educational material and hygiene products from the organization.