Rita's Foundation advances selection process for final three Smile Matters 2026 beneficiaries

Rita's Foundation has advanced the selection process for the final three beneficiaries of its Smile Matters 2026 humanitarian campaign, with shortlisted communities now undergoing rigorous field verification to determine who will receive the foundation's flagship interventions.

The final selection will be based on verified need, community participation and commitment to the foundation's "Help Us, Help You" philosophy.

The next phase of the project follows the successful outdooring of the Top Five nominees under Project Smile Matters 2026, themed "The Restoration Edition." The initiative, established in memory of the late Mrs Rita Esinu Agbavitor-Jackson, provides structural home renovations, medical care support, mobility aids, and financial assistance to vulnerable elderly people across the Volta Region.

Diana Yaa Balo Agbavitor, founder of Rita's Foundation, announced the next stage during an engagement with team members, field volunteers, and beneficiary representatives on June 29, 2026. She said making the Top Five shortlist was an important milestone but did not guarantee final selection.

She explained that field agents are conducting comprehensive on-the-ground verification, including medical screenings, technical assessments of beneficiaries' homes and validation of claims submitted by communities. The exercise is also assessing local leadership involvement, community mobilisation and the willingness of residents to partner with the foundation.

"We are searching for the most vulnerable, and we are moving with absolute speed. But we will only step where we see collective effort," she said.

The engagement opened with a tribute to the founder's late mother, Mrs Rita Esinu Agbavitor-Jackson, in whose honour the foundation was established. Participants observed a minute of silence before discussions on the implementation phase continued.

Diana Yaa Balo congratulated the shortlisted representatives for emerging from dozens of nominations received nationwide, saying their communities had demonstrated genuine need and strong advocacy. She, however, urged them to remain transparent throughout the verification process, stressing that only communities that meet the foundation's assessment criteria would progress to the final implementation stage.

Following the public outdooring of the Top Five nominees on June 30, active field validation and preliminary health assessments are expected to continue through early July ahead of the commencement of structural restoration projects later this month.

The foundation has also appealed to corporate organisations, development partners, members of the Ghanaian diaspora and individuals to support the project through strategic partnerships. According to the foundation, additional support will help accelerate the delivery of life-changing interventions to the final beneficiaries selected under Smile Matters 2026.

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