“Rebuilding Faces”

World-wide up-to 1 in 500 children are born with some form cleft and cranio-facial disorders. Without treatment most these children end with multiple challenges ranging from speech abnormalities, hearing problems, malnutrition, recurrent infections, dental abnormalities, psychosocial problems, low self-esteem and sometimes death

The Face is widely regarded as the symbol of identity. Identity documents ranging from Passports, national I.Ds, student ID etc, all require one to have a facial photography. Children born with cleft and cranio-facial deformities suffer from serious stigma and bullying from their peers.

In 2015 a group of clinicians came together to help the cleft children re-integrate into the community through offering free facial reconstructive surgical procedures. Year 2020 saw the formalization of the vision, leading to the birth of “Global Cleft and Cranio-Facial Foundation”. More than 200 children have so far been assisted through this initiative.