Imagine not being able to smile. Thousands of children worldwide are unable to smile, speak properly and have been shunned because they suffer from cleft lips and cleft palates – the fourth most common birth defect in the world. However, the non-profit organisation Operation Smile South Africa has been rectifying this. Operation Smile relies on non-medical and medical volunteers, who travel the world and rectify cleft lips and cleft palates with no charge to the patients or their families. Since 2004, the organisation has provided surgery to 1 040 patients and the number is still growing.
The organisation, with MM Galleries, is hoping to raise even more awareness for their campaign by asking the youth to enter their Project Smile competition. Project Smile is the brainchild of MM Galleries, whose owners, Omary Magambo and Eugene Marais, approached Operation Smile with their idea.
The pair decided to create an in-house programme to raise funds for various organisations. A resident artist at the gallery mentioned to Mr Magambo and Mr Marais that her son was born with a cleft palate and after doing some research on the subject, she came across Operation Smile. Soon after doing their own research the two men approached the organisation with their Project Smile idea.
It will take the shape of a competition culminating in fundraising events and exhibitions. The competition is targeting youth and asking them to use any medium such as drawing or sculpture, to convey their smiles and enter the competition. “It is an outreach and fundraising initiative aimed at encouraging creativity, innovation and adventurous works of art among the youth of South Africa. ‘Smile’ is the main theme of the project and all works will be designed and crafted centering on this theme. We will be collecting smiles and will be hosting annual fundraising exhibitions and galas,” said Mr Magambo.
“The idea really is for everyone to enter. We want people to get involved and to tell them that there are different ways that they can volunteer. We also want to tell people that you don’t have to be an older person to make a difference. Young people, children as young as two years old can enter the competition and draw their smiles,” said Ananda Nel, the executive director of Operation Smile.
The organisers are also hoping to get schools involved, she said. Targeting schools would raise awareness among young people, instilling in them the idea of volunteerism at an early age. “As the main objective of the project is to create awareness for the plight of children with facial deformities,” added Mr Magambo, “we are looking at youths from schools, colleges and universities to enter.”
They also have South African celebrities who will be drawing their smile. They are, however, keeping mum about who they are. Once the competition has closed, entries will be judged and the most innovative ones will be selected to form part of the fundraising exhibitions and gala events. At the gala event in June, some of the work will be auctioned.
- Article by Nadine Christians -
