Residents in Witbank, Mpumalanga and the surrounding communities now have a great reason to smile thanks to The South African branch of Operation Smile for providing medical assistance to people with cleft lips and palates. For the past two years Operation Smile missions have taken place in Witbank, this year’s mission commenced on the 12th to 16th of March 2020.
According to Lauren Bright, Operation Smile SA’s Country Manager “Giving the gift of a smile and changing a person’s life forever is no mean feat and it’s only made possible by the contributions received from organizations such as My school, My village My planet”.
The medical mission included a screening day on the Friday and surgeries on the Saturday and Sunday, with a total of 23 surgeries performed. Over a period of 14 years, Operation Smile has provided free reconstructive surgery to more than 6,000 patients in Africa, including those with more complicated facial conditions. Surgeries can be as quick as 45 minutes and cost about R5,500 each.
Furthermore, Operation Smile also provides training to healthcare professionals in South Africa, Madagascar, Namibia, Rwanda, Swaziland, Lesotho and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The organization works with local medical professionals, hospitals and other NGOs to create models of surgical care to provide effective solutions.
The surgeries in March were supported by MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet, a community support NPO that raises and delivers funding to schools and charities to improve education and social development in South Africa. “By swiping their My school, My village My planet cards, our benefactors are making a life-changing difference to thousands of children who may otherwise have been ostracized or have normal functioning such as speech impeded,”Pieter Twine, General Manager, MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet
