Healing children’s smiles. Making the world a better place.
At Operation Smile, we measure ourselves by the joy we see on children’s faces. We’re more than a charity. More than an NGO. We’re a mobilized force of medical professionals and caring hearts who provide safe, effective reconstructive surgery for children born with facial deformities such as cleft lip and cleft palate.
More than 200,000 children are born with a severe cleft condition each year — often unable to eat, speak, socialize or smile. In some places these children are shunned and rejected. And in too many cases, their parents can’t afford to give them the surgeries they need to live a normal life.
That’s where we come in. Since 1982, Operation Smile — through the help of dedicated medical volunteers — has provided free surgeries to children around the world. With a presence in over 50 countries, we are able to heal children’s smiles and bringing hope for a better future.
Thanks to the generosity and spirit of volunteerism shown by our supporters, we heal thousands of children per year and, today, more than 150,000 girls and boys have a new chance at a new life because of our work. With your help, how many lives can we change tomorrow
What We Do
At Operation Smile, our medical volunteers provide safe, effective and free cleft lip and cleft palate repair surgery for children born all over the world. We are an international medical humanitarian organization dedicated to raising awareness of this life-threatening issue and providing lasting solutions that will allow children to be healed, regardless of financial standing, well into the future.
We have a presence in over 50 countries, and our free surgeries and medical missions are made possible by the thousands of volunteers and donors, throughout the world, who generously contribute time, talent and resources to our cause.
Giving every child the chance to smile.
Every child deserves the ability to smile and a chance to thrive. But in many parts of the world, children with cleft lip and cleft palate are hidden away, too embarrassed to attend school and face uncertain futures because their parents cannot afford to provide the surgery they need.
Our free, life-changing surgeries take as little as 45 minutes, and can give a boy or girl with a facial deformity a lifetime of smiles. Plus, every child we heal creates a ripple effect on the child’s family, community and country. After surgery, the child can become a more productive member of society and enrich their community.
And when we leave a country, we leave behind a legacy of education, training and equipment building a self-sufficient global health network focused on continuing the mission and transforming lives.
Through the face of a child, we forge new partnerships, alliances and health initiatives to make the world a better place.
We hope you’ll join us with your support.