Our friends
We have been given tremendous humanitarian support through the Peter Ustinov Foundation [image 1]. Throughout his life, Sir Peter Ustinov fought to combat prejudice. Professor Sailer managed to convince him that people with cleft lip or palate were special victims of their environment and thus outsiders in society. In honour of the great humanist, actor and author, Professor Sailer decided to name the clinic established in Mumbai (Bombay) India in 2004 the “Ustinov Cleft-Centre Bombay”. After his death, Peter Ustinov's son Igor, a gifted and well-known sculptor gave the project in Mumbai his full backing.
Our increasing number of cleft ambassadors also has a special role to play. These people have supported our foundation from day one with intense personal engagement and fund-raising campaigns. All of them deserve personal recognition for their humanitarian efforts.
Two “actual” ambassadors are playing a big part in the sponsoring the construction of cleft centres in India – S.E. Herr Dr. Walter Gyger, former Swiss ambassador to India, and H.E. Mr. Praveen Goyal, Indian ambassador to Switzerland.
The actress and TV presenter Sandra Studer [image 2], who is also well known outside of Switzerland is mending support to our cleft projects through top-notch PR work – it is our great pleasure to have Sandra Studer alongside top model Nadja Strittmatter and many other VIPs from the worlds of fashion and film as friends of the cleft children family.
We have also had close ties to the Gandhi family since beginning our humanitarian work with children with cleft lip and palate in India. If it wasn't for the special support of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi [image 3], President of the ruling Congress Party in India, and Rahul Gandhi, we would not have managed to operate on as of today over 7,800 children in Mangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Mumbai.