Sam Fuller
Founder
In January of 2014 our owner and founder Sam Fuller volunteered in Kurland Village, South Africa through a service learning program at Southern New Hampshire University. Convinced by Nick Carey his close friend who had gone the year prior. They spent 10 days in Kurland Village and the experience changed both their lives. It was always Nick’s dream to go back to Kurland and continue the work we had started in 2014. They often talked about returning but they could never seem to the find the time. A couple years went on and in the fall of 2016 Nick passed away suddenly. At this time Sam became close with Nicks family and and idea arose about returning to South Africa as almost a memorial for Nick.
In February of 2018 Sam organized a group of Nick’s family, his childhood friends, their mutual friends and friends of the family to head to South Africa and continue Nicks dream. During the trip Sam realized that we had to continue the work beyond this. Sam has returned every year since and founded the Sound of a Smile in hopes of creating serious sustainable impact in Kurland Village, South Africa and making Nick’s dream a reality. Sam is not only our founder but he runs all of our volunteer programs in South Africa and works as the primary community facilitator for SOAS.
Joellen Touring
Construction Foreman
Joellen aka “Shu-SHu” has been heading our construction team for two years now. She-Shu is our lead builder and on site foreman for our housing improvement project and our after school center. He has been apart of over 80 housing projects ranging from full rebuilds, roofs, walls, concrete, fencing and mechanical. She-Shu also runs his own construction business operating all over the Bitou region.
Clivenia Stander
Smile Center Co-Manager
Clivena has been working with the Sound of a Smile program for two years now. She started out volunteering with us in 2022 and became a full time employee in 2023. Clivenia is one of the managers of the “Smile Center,” our after school community building offering free homework assistance, tutoring and you development programs for Kurland Village. She not only manages the center but procures programs for Kurland’s youth and is responsible for one of our soup kitchens feeding the kids attending the center. She has played a large role in our cultural engagement sector and continues to grow as a community leader.
Lorna Simoki
Smile Center Co-Manager
Lorna has been working with the Sound of a Smile program since 2023. A manager at the center Lorna co-manages all activities and is fluent three languages providing a resource for Xhosa children in Kurland. She also procures programs for Kurland’s youth and is responsible for one of our soup kitchen with Clivenia. Lorna studied psychology and is currently in school continuing her education.