Our History - Smile Sports

History of Smile Sports

Smile Sports uses the power of Sports to make oral health education fun for youth and will now be developing new programs that will scale throughout Chicago. Our Chicago based programs will act as high-impact enhancements to our partner programs working in high-risk areas. Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease of childhood and it is almost entirely preventable, but no child will sit through a lecture about it. They will show up for basketball.

Smile Sports was created from the foundational vision and lessons learned from the non-profit organization Travelbond. In 2012, Travelbond pioneered the first of multiple international team trips to Kenya, bringing together U.S. college athletes, coaches, and educators dedicated to making a tangible difference in underserved communities globally. The original ambassador teams traveled to multiple cities throughout Kenya, where they led basketball camps and studied complex regional challenges, including clean water access, malaria, HIV, food security, farming, waste management, women's health, economic instability, orphanage resources, rain water courts, and tribalism.

Thanks to the generosity and support of the Kenya Basketball Federation, Dr. Khama Rogo, numerous local schools, hospitals, orphanages, and Kenyan leaders, these inaugural trips were a great success. Each camp combined elite sports training with a variety of health education modules. Camps served the youth of underserved areas and also offered valuable leadership opportunities for both U.S. and Kenyan mentors, coaches, teachers, and healthcare professionals.

Smile Sports will focus all programs on using sports as an engine to Make Oral Health Education Fun. Smile Sports launched it's first successful camp in the Philippines in November of 2025.

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Dr. Rogo Encourages Kids To Dream Big

Dr. Khama Rogo's guidance opened nearly every door for us in Kenya — from the Kenya Basketball Federation to local schools, hospitals, and community leaders. Beyond his role with our team, he's one of Africa's most respected voices in global health: founder of Sagam Community Hospital, former head of the World Bank's Health in Africa Initiative, and a lifelong advocate for community health across the continent.

Simon Says Two Thumbs Up

Partner Schools in Kenya

Maseno School

Upper Hill School

Kenya KBF President and Local Leaders

The leadership in Kenya was extremely welcoming. We worked with multiple Orphanages, Schools, Hospitals, NGO's, Health Leaders, Cultural Groups, the Minister of Education, the Kenya Basketball Federation, School Athletic Directors and many local community volunteers. We will be reconnecting to our programs in Kenya in the near future as we begin to build new programs in the Philippines.

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2025 - Welcome To The Philippines!

Smile Sports partners in the Philippines were awesome We worked with multiple Elementary School Leaders and Coaches, Local Health Workers, Hospitality Host, Local Barangay Officials School Athletic Directors and many local community volunteers. We will be reconnecting to our programs in the Philippines in the near future as we begin to build new programs in to connect from Chicago.

Mabalacat Elementary School Basketball Coach