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Celebrating 20 years ... over 6 000 smiles ... and countless lives changed, Nick
In March, we celebrated our 'official' 20th birthday by looking back at the stories that have shaped our journey and the people who make our mission possible.
A huge thank you to every volunteer, donor, and partner who has walked beside us over the past two decades.
You are the reason thousands of children
can now smile with confidence.
In 20 short years, Operation Smile South Africa has made a huge impact.
- 67 surgical programmes in South Africa and 9 other countries across sub-Saharan Africa.
- 6 221 safe surgeries completed – that's over 300 for each year of our existence!
- Thousands of speech therapy, psychosocial and dental treatments provided.
- Dozens of cleft specialists trained.
 "One of our biggest achievements has been opening up avenues for cleft care across Africa,” says Professor Anil Madaree, Medical Director of Operation Smile South Africa.
“We've helped start programmes in several countries – including the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Ghana, Madagascar, Rwanda and Malawi – so patients can reach centres of care close to home.”
“Each patient is an individual and you see the change immediately," he added. "Not just in their smile, but in the way they interact with the world. Even after all these years, seeing that transformation never loses its meaning.”
Global Network
As you know, Operation Smile South Africa forms part of the global Operation Smile network, one of the world's largest volunteer driven medical organisations, with more than 6 000 volunteers worldwide.
In a specially worded message, co-founder of Operation Smile, Kathy McGee, sent congratulations for what has been achieved over the past 20 years. Please click here to watch the video.
For me, one of the most exciting aspects of our work, and what sets our organisation apart, is our dual focus on direct patient care and strengthening healthcare systems.
Each surgical programme serves as a hands-on training platform for healthcare professionals, helping to build capacity in cleft care, so that the work can continue long after our volunteers have returned home.”
While we celebrate two decades of transformation, we know the work is far from over.
We are committed to improving access to safe surgery for cleft patients, and helping to build health systems to enable long-term quality care.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Here's to the next chapter of changing lives!
Warm regards,
Sarah Scarth
Executive Director
Operation Smile South Africa
Cell: +27 (0) 83 271 3768 |
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