Transforming lives with Havaianas Smile

MANILA, Philippines - In the Philippines, one in every 500 babies is born with facial deformities. With cleft lips and palates, these children cannot smile, and as a result of the mockery they encounter, they often lose the will to do so.

In 2010, thousands of Filipino children gathered around the country to submit creative entries for Havaianas’ “Design a Smile,” a flip-flop design competition for the benefit of Operation Smile Philippines. A worldwide, non-government organization, Operation Smile provides free reconstructive surgery to indigent children and young adults with cleft lip, cleft palate, and other facial deformities.

“Designing flip-flops encouraged the kids who joined the Havaianas Design a Smile contest to showcase their creativity for a greater cause, that is, to make a difference in the lives of those children with cleft lips and cleft palates who literally cannot smile,” shares Anne Gonzalez, Havaianas Philippines managing director. 

With the winning design by 12-year-old Meghan Sevilla, a percentage of the sales for the limited-edition Havaianas Smile will help fund Operation Smile’s simultaneous missions in the Philippines for their 30th anniversary in 2012, where they aim to heal 1,500 broken smiles.

Meghan shares, “I wanted to emphasize the main message of the project which was ‘smile’ — bringing happiness, calmness, freedom, and peace into other people’s lives. A simple smile can change everything.”  

Meghan was inspired by nature and how it makes her smile as clearly expressed in her design. Imbued with passion and creativity, Havaianas Smile reflects summer happiness with its vibrant colors and design combinations. Across its citrus yellow soles, figures of the sun, clouds, and circles that banner a gleeful, summer feeling are in dazzling shades of blue, green, orange, and yellow.  

 Bobby Manzano, president and executive director of Operation Smile Philippines, says that they are more than grateful to Havaianas for choosing the organization as the beneficiary of Havaianas Smile. “The campaign gave us a platform for engaging thousands of the Havaianas customers to get them involved in its advocacy of changing lives one smile at a time,” shares Bobby.

When you buy a pair, you can transform the lives of Filipino chi dren. This October, help heal children’s broken smiles with the limited-edition Havaianas Smile available in all authorized Havaianas retailers in the Philippines.

Havaianas Smile is available at All Flip-Flops, Celio, Complex, Duty Free Philippines Fiesta Mall, Gas, J&S Surf Shop, KidSports, Manila Polo Club, Moana, Nail Spa, ROX, Rustan’s, Stoked, Tick Tock Flip Flop NAIA Terminal 3, and Urban Athletics. For provincial outlets, visit www.havaianas.com.

After careful screening and a successful surgery, this child is now able to smile. More importantly, her life has now been positively changed. When you purchase a pair of Havaianas Smile, a limited-edition pair for the benefit of Operation Smile Philippines, you could help transform the lives of Filipino children who are born with cleft lip and cleft palate deformities. Visit www.havaianas.com to find your nearest authorized retailer.