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Helping them to Smile
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Herlan before the operation

Herlan after the operation

Cleft Palate and Cleft Lip operations in Peru

High incidence …

Moyabamba is situated in the Amazon Basin side of the Andes in the country of Peru. There is a very high incidence of cleft palate and cleft lip problems in the area. Here, the Clinica San Lucas is helping children to smile by carrying out simple operations which transform their lives.

£250 an operation …

Once or twice a year, a team of plastic surgeons are flown over the Andes from Lima the capital. They are paid travelling costs and a token payment for the work they do. Each operation averages around £250.

Some children require a second operation and usually require extensive dental treatment. There were 80 children on the list for 2002.

Traumatised …

But operations are only a part of the solution. The children are often thrown out of school because the teacher “can’t understand a word they say”! They are often highly traumatised and have difficulty speaking.

To deal with these problems, the project employs a speech therapist/psychologist to integrate the children into society. She is incredibly patient and understanding with the children and they love her. She visits countless families — some of them 4 or 5 hours walk into the jungle from the nearest road. She works long hours so we need to fund some secretarial help for her.