Linda Dominguez Foundation expands SMILE Mission to reach 3,000 girls and more learners across Africa

The Linda Dominguez Foundation says its volunteer-led SMILE Mission reached 2,931 people in September and October, then expands in November with a Pad A Girl hygiene drive, free English classes and holiday relief work. The push stretches across Nigeria and several African countries, with new support for girls’ hygiene, literacy and family needs.

Why it matters: - The Linda Dominguez Foundation is widening its footprint across Africa with programs tied to school attendance, literacy and basic needs. - The new Pad A Girl drive targets 3,000 girls with hygiene kits and menstrual health education. - The literacy program and December relief work are aimed at children and families in underserved communities.

What happened: - The foundation says its SMILE Mission reached 2,931 children and family members in September and October. - In October, LDFCares Hope Month reached 1,729 people. - That October total included 1,615 people reached through physical outreach across eight zonal regions and 114 people reached through six virtual events. - Volunteers distributed 6,260 sachets of pure water, or 313 bags, to internally displaced persons and children in orphanages. - In September, the foundation reached 1,202 children and families in underserved communities. - The foundation announced a November launch for Pad A Girl, a cross-border hygiene drive for 3,000 girls. - The foundation also has a free online English literacy initiative already under way. - December will bring a Christmas relief drive and the launch of English classes in Ethiopia.

The details: - Pad A Girl will provide 3,000 hygiene kits for 3,000 girls. - The program includes menstrual health education. - The stated goal is to keep girls in school during their periods. - Live English classes run through Google Meet for 21 pupils in Uganda and 19 learners in Mozambique. - Pupils in Uganda are learning to read, write, speak and pronounce English with interpreter support. - Learners in Mozambique have started with greetings and saying their names. - Ethiopia joins the online literacy program in December. - The Christmas relief drive will provide food and clothing to less privileged families. - The foundation says the relief effort is meant to help families celebrate the season with dignity. - The foundation says its work currently spans Nigeria, Benin Republic, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Cameroun, Zambia, Mozambique, Liberia, Togo, Ethiopia and other locations. - The organization is registered in Nigeria under CAC 8632431. - The foundation accepts support from volunteers, donors and corporate partners for hygiene kits, the Christmas drive and outreach missions. - The foundation lists a donation account at Moniepoint MFB, 3001228586. - The foundation’s website is More information.

Between the lines: - The expansion links health, education and seasonal aid into one volunteer-driven model. - The foundation is using cross-border programs to reach both Anglophone and Francophone communities. - The emphasis on hygiene kits and literacy suggests the group is trying to reduce barriers that keep children, especially girls, out of school. - Foundation leaders framed the work as part of a broader push to reduce the number of out-of-school children in Africa.

What's next: - Ethiopia is scheduled to join the free online English classes in December. - The Christmas relief drive will roll out in December. - The foundation is seeking sponsors, donors and volunteers to scale the hygiene and outreach campaigns further. - The group says it will continue expanding literacy, hygiene sensitization and mentorship across partner countries.

The bottom line: - The Linda Dominguez Foundation is turning a two-month reach of nearly 3,000 people into a wider push for hygiene, literacy and holiday support across Africa.