Walter Lafitte, from Canal Movers in Panama explains how his company has helped Operation Smile.

Based in Panama, besides a natural reserve park, Canal Movers and Logistics Corp has been in the moving and logistics industry for two decades. We are proud to say that Canal Movers practices Corporate Social Responsibility since we contribute to the well-being of our personnel, our community, and the environment.

For several years now, we have donated our time and resources to charitable organisations such as Operation Smile, the Order of Malta, the Metropolitan Natural Park, and various other non-profit organisations which aim at helping children in need such as Casa Esperanza and Pro Niñez. We are humbled to say that, since we began these practices over 15 years ago, we have helped a large number of families in need by providing the required funding and/or logistics to successfully deliver donations.

One of the projects that we have enjoyed the most is helping Operation Smile. This non-profit organisation creates awareness for children with cleft lip and/or palate and helps families in need with the financial burden of the surgery. Its main goal is to make every single child who suffers from this condition to have a smile on his or her face and to help them have a more promising future.

Since 2014, my youngest daughter, Anabelle, has been involved with Operation Smile in Panama. She has attended conferences in Ireland and in the United States to better understand the mission of this non-profit organisation as well as to develop the right leadership skills needed to successfully organise events to raise money and awareness for this organisation. It is because of her passion towards this cause and her eagerness to help that we decided to make an alliance with Operation Smile. Not only do we assist financially, but our staff has also participated in various volunteer activities and events.

Back in 2016 in Panama City I had the pleasure to personally meet Dr. Bill Magee and his wife Kathleen, founders of Operation Smile, during the Operation Smile Panama’s 25th anniversary. During our conversation, we learned that both of us had attended the same university, Mount Saint Mary’s, in Maryland, United States. He was very pleased to know that both my family and my business were involved with his organisation. It is indeed a very small world!

Last year during the pandemic, Canal Movers & Logistics Corp. assisted and donated the destination services of the arrival of an antique wooden train wagon from Germany to Panama. This historic piece was used by the Germans to transport Jewish people to the concentration camps. This wagon, used in the 40s, was brought for the Liberty Museum in Panama to create awareness of the Holocaust among its visitors. We are very satisfied to have assisted in this project.

We want to thank everybody who has been involved in making this possible over these years. It fills us with satisfaction and pride to be able to help noble causes like these and we are eager to continue making the world a better place one shipment at a time.

Photos:
Top - Walter Lafitte at the Operation Smile mission in David, Panama.
Bottom left - Walter and his wife, Analisa, with the founders of Operation Smile: Dr. Bill Magee and his wife, Kathleen, in Panama City.
Bottom right - Anabelle Laffitte, second from left, with the founders of Operation Smile in California.