Smile Train's monthly giving programme, Frequent Smilers, funds cleft lip and palate surgery and comprehensive cleft care — including medical education, feeding counselling, transportation, speech therapy and orthodontia — for children in over 90 countries. Smile Train also trains local surgeons rather than flying in foreign medical teams for each operation.
The 50 cents a day framing makes this an easy monthly commitment to picture, and it funds the full care journey around a cleft surgery, not just the operation itself. Training local surgeons rather than flying in foreign teams each time also builds lasting medical capacity in the countries it works in, beyond any single surgery.
Where the money goes
Comprehensive cleft care, including surgery; Smile Train cites $250 as the cost of the basic surgical procedure at partner hospitals, though comprehensive care can cost more.
