Changing the World, One Smile at a Time

Our speaker on August 14, 2023, Jonathan Roberts, came with a smile; not just because he was speaking to us about Smile Train but also because he only had a 20 minute drive from home to speak to us, as opposed to the two-hour-plus journeys he has had to a couple of recent talks.

He started with the background to Smile Train, which was founded in 1999 by American philanthropist George Wang with the aim of providing a sustainable approach to a single, solvable problem: cleft lips and palates.

What’s The Problem?

He explained that a cleft is one of the most common birth defects, with 1 in 700 babies affected globally.  A cleft occurs when the lip and/or roof of the mouth do not fuse together during foetal development.  This can cause difficulties with eating, breathing, hearing, and speaking, which can lead to malnourishment, communication difficulties, permanent hearing loss, anxiety, depression or even death.

The cause of clefts is unknown.  A genetic predisposition is one factor, but environmental issues during pregnancy such as drug and alcohol abuse, smoking, maternal illness, infections, or lack of Vitamin B (folic acid) are also common factors.  However an expectant mother can avoid all these potential risk factors and still have a baby with a cleft.

Fixing a cleft is a relatively simple operation; in the developed world all affected children receive corrective treatment as soon as this can be done.  However, hundreds of thousands of children in resource-poor communities around the world do not have access to this life-changing treatment.

Smile Train’s Sustainable Approach

Smile Train’s response to this need is to deliver a sustainable and scalable model for cleft treatment 365 days a year.  This is founded on the ‘teach a man to fish’ principle and empowers local medical professionals to provide free treatment (by providing training, funding, and resources). 

This treatment addresses the whole patient.  Following the life-changing surgery, Smile Train’s local medical partners provide essential follow-on care, such as speech therapy, emotional support, nutrition services, and orthodontic care, to ensure that the patients have the opportunity to lead full and productive lives.

Smile Train’s approach is more efficient and effective than ‘mission-based’ organisations that send out teams of doctors who return to their base country at the end of a campaign, leaving no local capability.

Impact

Smile Train has supported free cleft treatment since 1999 in over 90 countries, and supported cleft care for over 1.5 million children, provided training for over 2,100 medical professionals, and partnered with over 1,100 partner hospitals. This work will continue until every child with a cleft has access to the care they need. The goal is to give every child with a cleft the opportunity of a healthy productive life.

Smile Train’s one millionth patient was Osawa Owiti:
“I faced a lot of challenges before the surgery. You could see the food in my mouth as I was eating. People were visibly shocked at my appearance. When I returned to school after the surgery there were a lot of improvements. People who knew me are happy to see my new look. My treatment inspired me to want to become a doctor.” 

Smile Train is one of President Roger’s chosen charities for the year and, following this talk, the club agreed to donate the proceeds of his ‘Crazy Petanque’ afternoon to Smile Train, a total including Gift Aid, of £1,000.  All club members gathered around Roger for the donation ceremony on October 9.