Chronicle Editor
Mollet Ndebele, Sunday News Reporter
THE Operation of Hope cleft lip surgical mission will be having its 26th surgical mission to Zimbabwe in May which is set to benefit more than 90 people.
The organisation comprises volunteer American and Canadian surgical experts who from 2006 have been conducting free surgeries at Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo.
Cleft lip and cleft palate are birth defects that occur when a baby’s lip or mouth do not form properly during pregnancy. Together, these birth defects are commonly called “orofacial clefts”.
The chief executive officer for Operation of Hope, Mrs Jennifer Mora Trubenach said, “The team of board certified reconstructive surgeons and 18 other volunteers, to support the confidence and social success of children around the world. Having an attractive smile is crucial not only for esteem but also for the ability to interact effectively in modern society, where smiling is one of the most basic interactions between people.”
She said some of the children don’t smile at all.
“Often they cover their mouths and are hidden from school and church because of this relatively easy to fix problem, being a cleft lip or cleft palate,” said Mrs Trubenach.
Mrs Trubenach said they work mostly with retired nurses and surgeons.
“Most nurses raise their funds by fundraising their own airfares. We also get funding from ordinary people. Emirates Airlines in partnership with Emirates Foundation has also in the past helped volunteer’s airfare,” she said.
She added that they were thankful to Schweppes Zimbabwe for providing juice and water to patients and to Econet Zimbabwe for helping them spread the word to their prospective patients in rural areas.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu