The Currency of Compassion Is a Smile

I am Angela María Cabrejo Martinez. I was born in Bogotá, Colombia, and today I want to share how God used my profession to serve others.

[2023, El Salvador] Dr. Angela Cabrejo with patient.

I graduated as a dentist in 2008, and from that moment I knew I wanted to extend my hands to those most in need, and what better way to do so than through my knowledge and skills.

In 2023, thanks to my friend Diana Paola Torres, whom I had known since childhood, I had the opportunity to learn about Stand Up To Poverty. My first contact was with its cofounder, Astrid Fidelia, who kindly invited me to participate in a humanitarian medical mission in El Salvador. For me, it became a major challenge because, unfortunately, I did not have a strong command of English, and the entire team spoke the language. Still, it was an incredibly enriching experience to help a community through my knowledge, my love, and my desire to serve. It also allowed me to witness how essential dental care is for every population, from preventive and promotional oral health treatments to hygienic procedures, restorative treatments, and extractions.

Following that experience, in 2024, by the grace of God, I was invited once again by the SU2P’s leadership to participate in a second humanitarian medical mission in Nigeria. For me, this was another enormous challenge because, for many reasons, it seemed unimaginable and impossible. Fortunately, with God’s help, I traveled alone from Bogotá to Abuja, with a layover in Turkey, filled with anxiety but trusting that everything would work out well, and it did. This mission was especially meaningful because I was the only dentist treating more than 200 people, without proper facilities or comforts for patient care. In terms of the most common conditions within the population, I found a moderate rate of dental cavities and gum-related diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis, though overall oral health was relatively stable.

After this mission, SU2P’s leadership became interested in organizing a humanitarian medical mission in my own country, Colombia, and entrusted me with the great responsibility of organizing it in the place I believed most appropriate based on the population characteristics they were seeking. That is why, in February 2025, we carried out the mission in La Guajira, Colombia, where I had the great opportunity to lead all logistics as well as the Dentistry Department, alongside Dr. Fritz Fils-Aime, who is extraordinary both as a colleague and human being. We were overwhelmed at the poor oral health conditions among the Indigenous Wayuu population, with extremely high rates of cavities. The vast majority of children, young people, adults, and elderly patients required serial extractions of molars that were already completely destroyed.

In 2026, during the fourth mission, something very special happened for me. Following the Colombia mission, SU2P’s leadership recognized the potential of my fellow Colombians and included four additional Colombians on the team, among them my husband Jorge Plazas, who joined as part of the media and publicity team. We were also accompanied by optometrists Dr. Albert Epieyu and Dr. Daniela Ovalle, as well as our dear Gloria Jimenez, a nurse and sister of SU2P leadership, Vilma Jimenez.

For all of us, it still felt surreal, because traveling to another continent to serve vulnerable communities was a dream that once seemed almost impossible to achieve. But the foundation, led by Jean Alfred, whom I now consider an angel in my life, was always willing to do everything possible to ensure that Team Colombia could travel without any difficulties, and that is exactly what happened.

On February 26, 2026, we traveled from Bogotá to Kampala, Uganda, with a layover in Turkey. The mission was extraordinary because we not only discovered another country and another continent, but also met incredible people from both the local community and our medical team, which included many new members. We experienced a different culture, food, and landscapes, and Jean gave us the magnificent opportunity to participate in a safari and visit historically remarkable places such as the source of the Nile River and Lake Victoria.

As for the dental care provided, I was pleasantly surprised that the hospital had a highly advanced dental unit, which allowed me to perform more complex treatments than during previous missions and work much more comfortably. We were also supported by students who assisted me throughout the mission, always eager to help and hungry for knowledge.

Unlike Nigeria, however, in Uganda, specifically in the Luwero population, I unfortunately observed a much higher rate of dental cavities, periodontitis, and a lack of understanding regarding proper brushing techniques and basic oral hygiene tools such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, and dental floss. Sharing knowledge with the community filled my heart, and this population, in particular, received every recommendation and lesson with warmth and gratitude.

To see someone who has never had the resources or opportunity to receive dental care in a clinic, and to provide them not only with treatment but also with knowledge and tools to improve their quality of life, is priceless. The greatest reward of all is their smiles.