Mission Smile (Formerly Operation Smile India)

Mission Smile is dedicated to transforming the lives of children born with cleft lip and palate. With a commitment to compassionate, comprehensive cleft care, the NGO provides not only surgical services but also speech therapy, dental care, and nutritional support to children in need. Guided by the values of equality, dignity, and empowerment, Mission Smile strives to give every child the confidence to smile and lead a life full of possibilities.

Major Interventions:

The Guwahati Comprehensive Cleft Care Centre (GC4) stands as the heart of Mission Smile's operations, offering year-round cleft corrective surgeries to patients from Assam and the north-eastern states of India. GC4 represents a unique public-private partnership with the governments of Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh. This centre is a beacon of hope where skilled medical professionals and compassionate caregivers come together to transform the lives of children with cleft deformities. Through its dedication to excellence and innovation, GC4 not only restores smiles but also fosters a sense of community and empowerment among its beneficiaries.

The Mission Model is a cornerstone of Mission Smile's intervention strategy, providing impactful cleft care through concentrated medical missions. Conducted over a six-day period, these missions bring together volunteers from India and abroad to deliver comprehensive care. Day 1 is dedicated to arrival and setup, followed by patient screenings on Day 2. Surgeries are performed from Days 3 to 5, with a final post-operative check-up on Day 6 before departure. These missions of short duration are highly effective, offering medical assessments and surgeries to a large number of patients.

The NGO runs Outreach Centres across the country, offering year-round free reconstructive surgeries for children and young adults with cleft lip, cleft palate, and other facial deformities. These centres are equipped with operating and recovery rooms, and provide medical, dental, and speech therapy services along with serving as training hubs for local medical professionals.

The Mission Smile Nutrition Program is dedicated to addressing malnutrition in children with cleft conditions, particularly those aged 0-5 years. The program identifies, evaluates, and monitors the severity of malnutrition, provides essential micronutrients, and treats associated medical conditions. For children with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), timely referrals are made to specialized care centres. Beyond medical care, it offers emotional support to families, educating parents on proper feeding methods, hygiene, and nutrition. Patient progress is regularly tracked to ensure they are fit for surgery, and when possible, the program provides special feeding bottles and infant formula to those in need.