Nampharm spreads smiles

THE Nampharm Foundation has partnered with Operation Smile from South Africa and will raise money in future to help children and adults with facial abnormalities.

Operation Smile South Africa is a non-profit, volunteer medical service organisation that provides free reconstructive facial surgery and follow-up healthcare to children and adults, while simultaneously providing education and training to build capacity. They are part of a global organisation which has treated over 130 000 children worldwide over the past 26 years. Since it was founded in 2006, Operation Smile South Africa has conducted missions in South Africa, Madagascar, Swaziland and the DRC with 900 patients already having received new smiles. Now the Ministry of Health and Social Services and the Nampharm Foundation will start spreading smiles in Namibia from early 2010. Cleft lips and cleft palates are the most common facial abnormalities in the world and these severe birth defects are normally surgically corrected shortly after birth where sufficient healthcare is available. Often, children suffering from these abnormalities cannot eat, speak, breathe or hear properly. An enormous stigma is also attached – resulting in many sufferers being shunned from school, society and isolated in general. All this can be changed with a surgery lasting no more than 45 minutes. The Nampharm Foundation has been in existence for four years now and has helped 18 children with different illnesses either financially or physically.They have four main fundraisers throughout the year, with money raised by three going towards helping children with facial abnormalities and the fourth exclusively for children with cleft palates and lips.July 24 is the Corporate Golf Day fundraiser. On August 2 is the ‘Small Kids, Big Hearts Cycling’ and on November 21 is the ‘Small Kids, Big Hearts Family Fun Walk’. All these fundraisers will benefit children and adults who need help with facial reconstructive surgery.On August 15 Nampharm, with Synergy Seminars and Radio Wave, will host the ‘Race for a Smile’ event, with all money going to children with cleft lips and cleft palates.Last year the Synergy Seminar-Radio Wave ‘Survivor Showdown’ raised N$60 000 which was distributed to various organisations. It is hoped that ‘Race for a Smile’ will raise N$100 000 which will make a huge difference in the lives of those who desperately need help but cannot afford it.It will also go a long way in helping to put a smile back onto the faces of those Namibian children who need a bit of help.