When deciding which charities to include on their lists for special occasions, I would like parishes to consider this charity which has so far funded and carried out over 500,000 cleft lip operations worldwide. None of the donations go on administration and many surgeons do this life changing work in their holidays, I have been told. Unfortunately, in some cultures, those afflicted by this problem of the top lip not fusing before birth, are said to be possessed by the devil and are outcasts.
I know there is the continuing humanitarian disaster in Haiti, and now a drought in Maramba, but I am sure ‘The Smile Train’, bringing one smile at a time, is at work in both these areas, using local doctors and surgeons as well as volunteers.
Smile Train UK is at: P.O. Box 583, Northampton, NN3 6UH.