The seed for Nosara Sonríe was planted by Dr. Adam Silevitch, a Pediatric Dentist from NYC. Here's his story, in his own words:
"In January of 2020 I fell in LOVE with Nosara. While staying at the Harmony I was blown away by the notion of ‘Pura Vida.’ Throughout my career as a pediatric dentist, I have traveled all over the world donating my time and skills to children who have little to no access to dental care. But, for all the places I have been, I had never experienced Pura Vida like I had in Nosara. The “Tico Culture” is something I stood in awe of. The love, passion and community I saw around me was so inspirational it sparked an idea…
“Nosara Sonrie” is a children’s dental outreach trip within the community of Nosara in collaboration with Harmony Projects, Nosara Food Bank, Dr. Sofia Obando (a local dentist) and many other doctors and volunteers we have provided dental education and free dental treatment to the children of Nosara. Our goal is to not only provide necessary treatment but to educate the children, their families and the community at large about the importance of good oral hygiene and diet.
I believe that the true essence of “Pura Vida” represents the idea that there should be less “I” and more “we” in this vastly changing world we live in. Nosara Sonrie is the epitome of this mantra and has allowed collaboration between volunteers from Costa Rica and the United States. Through local and international donations we were able to create a dental clinic where exceptional dental treatment was provided to over 300 children across 6 days, plus we provided dental hygiene education and fluoride treatments to more than 1000 kids in their schools. Without our involvement in the community, many of these kids would not have the ability to receive vital dental care. Our goal is to continue to improve the program and operate annually so that we have the ability to treat any and all of the children in Nosara."
When Dr. Adam approached us with his idea, we recognized an opportunity to make a significant impact. However, we knew that for this initiative to truly succeed, it needed to be rooted in the existing fabric of our community.
"It was very important for us at Harmony to leverage the existing networks and efforts from the community of Nosara," explains Harmony’s Kuki Araya. "Connecting Dr. Adam and Dr. Sofi with the Nosara Food Bank felt very natural. The Food Bank navigates all the ins and outs of non-profit work in the area."
Through our long standing community engagement efforts, we were already connected with the principals of six different public schools in the district, plus the high school. When we approached them about Nosara Sonrie, they responded enthusiastically.
What followed was a remarkable display of community spirit. Harmony committed to housing and feeding the volunteers and visiting doctors, as well as assisting with logistics. Several local restaurants eagerly responded to help feed the dental volunteers. Terratour, a local transportation company, donated all transportation for the week—for the second year in a row. Other hotels in the area stood ready to donate additional rooms if needed.
"This has really made Nosara Sonríe feel like a community-wide initiative," says Kuki.
In its first year, Nosara Sonríe provided dental care to over 1000 children. This year, that number has grown to nearly 1300. But the impact goes beyond these numbers. The initiative also focuses on educating our whole community about the importance of good oral hygiene and diet, which has a significant and long lasting positive effect.
Nosara Sonríe is more than a dental outreach program—it's a reflection of the spirit that makes Nosara special. It shows how a single idea, when embraced by a caring community, can grow into a powerful force for good.
Want to get involved in future Nosara Sonríe initiatives? Contact us, or visit the initiative page on Nosara Food Bank’s website.