Happy children
Our cleft centres are the last hope for hundreds of thousands of cleft children in India, Romania and Cameroon. However, these disfigured boys and girls often live so far away that our helpers need to be able to find these children first before they can be treated. Our “cleft bus” allows us to reach remote regions in search of these children. This isn't always easy especially when as they are often hidden away in shame by their own parents. A common belief in many countries is that cleft children are a punishment of God: The families of these children are not aware that a way out of this terrible fate is on hand through specialist treatment.
All operations at our cleft centres are performed free of charge. Of greater importance here are however the intensive after-care, additional corrective procedures to the midface and nose, checks on facial growth and speech therapy until the child stops growing at around 18 years of age. All of this takes place on site at the cleft centres. Our centres maintain the highest standards, and treatment methods undergo continuous improvement thanks to the ongoing transfer of medical knowledge. This is made possible by continual visits from notable specialists from all over the world, as well as intensive training courses, conferences and workshops on specific cleft-related issues organised by the centres themselves. In this way we can help others help themselves on a sustainable basis.