What if this was your child?
Born with a cleft lip or palate … and you had no medical aid or money in the bank to pay hospital and doctors’ bills? Wouldn’t you want someone to help?
Be that ‘someone’! Any amount you can donate goes towards life-changing surgery for a waiting child.
Richard Kohler made history when he paddled across the South Atlantic Ocean from Cape Town to Salvador in Brazil in a kayak. In the process, he raised almost R600 000 for Operation Smile.
Read more about Richard’s epic adventure here.
Fundraise for Smiles
Richard Kohler’s epic adventure is truly inspirational. But you don’t have to cross the ocean in a kayak in order to raise funds for Operation Smile.
Dream up your own challenge … run a marathon (or even just your first 10km race) … participate in a cycle or Iron Man event … hold your own fundraising dinner or cake sale … or use a milestone birthday to raise funds towards life-changing surgery for children born with cleft conditions.
Fundraise for Operation Smile – and help give a child born with cleft lip or cleft palate the gift of a brand new smile.
Every 3 minutes …
… a child is born somewhere in the world with a cleft condition. In first world countries, corrective surgery is usually done within the first 18 months of life. But in Southern Africa, where safe surgery is not always freely available or accessible, a child may have to wait years for the chance to live a normal life.
What happens if cleft conditions are left untreated?
Change despair to hope
Depending on the severity, cleft conditions can be repaired in just 45 minutes. Your donation makes new smiles possible.
You don’t have to act as if you care
You just have to care enough to act
In 1982, Dr William (Bill) Magee, a plastic surgeon, and his wife Kathy, a nurse and clinical social worker, travelled to the Philippines with a group of medical volunteers to repair children’s cleft lips and cleft palates.
What they found was overwhelming. Over 300 families arrived, hoping their children would receive surgery. But the team could only treat 40 children.
“People pushed their babies at us,” recalls Kathy. “They tugged at our sleeves with tears in their eyes and begged us to help their children.”
As they were leaving, the Magees promised they would return to help more children – and Operation Smile was born.
Today, Operation Smile is an international medical charity with a network of medical volunteers from more than 80 countries, dedicated to helping children born with cleft palate and other facial abnormalities.
Share our vision
We dream of a world where no child suffers from lack of access to safe surgery. As long as there are children in the world who need our help, we’ll do whatever it takes to give them the quality care they deserve.
How your support helps
News & Stories
After 50 years living with a cleft lip, Alfred never expected his life to change
Alfred finally has a new smile, thanks to Operation Smile and our wonderful volunteers, after 50 years of living with a cleft lip.
With Laura every step of the way
By the time she was 12, Laura had undergone five surgeries to ensure she has the most beautiful smile and a normal life
Richard Kohler close to becoming the first person to kayak from Cape Town to Brazil, solo and unsupported
It has been seven weeks since 53 year old Capetonian, Richard Kohler, set off from Granger Bay in his kayak, to paddle solo and unsupported 7 000km across the Southern Atlantic Ocean to Salvador in Brazil. If successful, he will be the first person to achieve...
Our global family
With more than 6,000 active medical volunteers from all around the world, Operation Smile is one of the world’s largest volunteer-based nonprofit organisations. Our supporters are people from all walks of life, who believe that anyone born with a cleft condition deserves safe, effective, and timely surgery and care.
