We’re Shannon and Stu

Hi—yes, that’s us!

Let’s cut to the chase. As two active, outdoor people, we’ve seen firsthand the impact our modern lifestyle has had on the environment, animals and marine life.

Being from South Africa originally, we also saw how not having access to basic services has wide-reaching and profound effects on developing communities.

We quickly realised that, to make any sort of real change and to help both people and the environment, we needed to change our daily habits, without having to drastically alter our lifestyle.

And boom—the idea for SmidgeCo was born.

But—while we’re happy to talk about ourselves—who isn’t? —SmidgeCo isn’t really about just us. It’s about what we can accomplish together.

Together, making a change for the better.

What we’re up against

We did a bit of digging and soon realised the incredible impact our daily dental routine had on the planet—generating over 32 billion plastic toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes of plastic waste each year.
Yeah—billions.

  • Not only that, but today, over 400 million people across Africa suffer from some form of oral disease, largely due to a lack of education, funding and affordable dental resources. The worst part is oral diseases disproportionately affect the poor and socially disadvantaged. Throughout Africa, dental pain is the leading cause of children missing school, which has obvious knock-on effects lasting long into adulthood. In the worst cases, oral disease can lead to disfigurement and even death.

But – we’re all about solutions here.

The GOOD news is that almost all oral diseases are preventable and can be treated in their early stages

  • While it’s a big task, we’ve made it our mission to help both people and the environment (but we need your help).

    That’s why we’ve partnered with organisations to provide developing communities with education and access to basic dental services, as well as delivering environmental and conservation initiatives.

    Because it’s about so much more than just a bright smile; it’s about a brighter future for all, so go on, do your smidge!  

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