SOS makes a difference with smile
SOS Smile is a charity project with a number of experienced hospital clowns who travel around to bring smile and joy to sick and lonely children. The hospital clowns visit children’s hospitals and children’s homes in Eastern Europe where they bring the children amusement and joy for a while. The concept was introduced in 2009 as part of SOS International’s overall strategy of social responsibility.
The concept of hospitals clowns was introduced in the 1970s by the American doctor Patch Adams who learned that smile and laughter had a positive effect on the recovery of the patients. Scientific studies show that hospital clowns may shorten the time of hospitalisation and enhance the well-being of patients.
In January 2010 SOS Smile was on its first trip to St. Petersburg. Here the hospital clowns visited a children’s home for HIV-positive children, a home for abandoned children, a surgical tuberculosis hospital and an orthopaedic hospital for children from all over Russia.
The clowns brought several boxes of toys which they handed out to the children. The toys came from a toys collection arranged by Kids for Kids and SAS transported the many boxes to St. Petersburg free of charge. By involving customers, suppliers and other partners in this way it is our hope that SOS Smile can extend its activities and e.g. train new hospital clowns in order that even more children may benefit from the project.
