Kim Robertson Smiths Bio

Having been an invaluable team member of Smile Foundation since its inception 23 years ago, Kim has always been known for her never-give-up attitude and the invaluable positive impact she has made on the foundation. Inclusivity and the empowerment of others has always been the mainstay of this compassionate and visionary woman, who is determined to carry this into her role of leadership, as she supports and guides the vision and mission of Smile Foundation, defined by its Board of Directors. Being a registered nurse and health care professional, Kim is a natural-born caregiver with medical insight that stands her in good stead for her role as CEO. With her extensive managerial experience in the medical sales and marketing arena, Kim is no stranger to managing, mentoring, organising, training, and motivating people – which further supports her belief that solid teamwork will continually grow an organisation. Apart from the medical field, Kim’s career spans across a different area of fundraising and outreach programmes for various organisations, aligning her even more so to her role as a strong leader with a clear vision and passion for Smile Foundation. Kim is a well-seasoned professional, who is caring and compassionate, and always up for a new challenge that requires a smarter solution.

“My aim is to continue, with the support of the incredible Smile team, to see all our children’s smiles. My life’s journey has always been to be involved with helping others and in this position, I can continue to do what I love – helping children to become the ‘Hero’ of their own story.” Kim Robertson Smith, CEO at Smile Foundation.

About Smile Foundation

EVERY CHILD DESERVES A SECURE SENSE OF SELF – THE VERY FOUNDATION FROM WHICH THEIR GREATEST POTENTIAL CAN BE REACHED. THIS IS WHY WE AT SMILE FOUNDATION ARE DEEPLY PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF SOUTH AFRICAN CHILDREN LIVING WITH FACIAL CONDITIONS.

We believe that making a real difference is about bringing the right people together at the right time. In doing so, our non-profit organisation is able to facilitate expert surgical intervention for children living with facial paralysis, cleft lip, cleft palate, craniofacial abnormalities, and burn wounds.

We offer psychological support to patients and their families before, during and after surgery. We also offer “Parent to Parent” support which enables parents and caregivers to connect with other families who have walked the same journey.

We also invest in the infrastructure of the public healthcare system through purchasing medical equipment, upgrading the Departments of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery’s existing facilities and sponsoring academic skills programmes for surgeons, nurses and other medical personnel.

Training of Healthcare Professionals, Educating Caregivers and Learners

As Smile Foundation enters the next season in their journey, the organisation is looking to expand their footprint to invest in the training of healthcare professionals to enable them to tackle the complexities associated with treating paediatric Craniofacial Anomalies (CFA) and burn survivors.

Smile Foundation now looks to expand their educational support by establishing and offering a formal worldclass craniofacial anomaly training program endorsed and supported by the University of the Witswatersrand. Plastic and Reconstructive surgeons from both South Africa and neighbouring African countries will be given an opportunity to upskill themselves and by doing so will be able to treat craniofacial anomaly patients holistically.

Furthermore, Smile Foundation has offered caregivers an opportunity to learn more about their child’s condition and become a partner and advocate in their child’s treatment pathway.

The management of CFA patients is covered in many of the specialised surgical fellowships in South Africa however this is usually only a perspective from one specific discipline e.g. how to manage the condition from a maxillofacial or neurosurgical perspective. The plastic surgeon is usually the healthcare professional who performs the majority of the surgery and so it is crucial that healthcare professionals in this discipline are suitably skilled and knowledgeable on how to manage these patients.

Our Vision

We help children live a life inspired by confidence and possibility, no matter their circumstances.

Our Mission

We transform the lives of children affected by facial abnormalities and severe burns through the best possible and psychological care.