OUR APPROACH
Every three minutes, a child is born with a cleft condition. In many places, children with cleft lip and palate face difficulties with feeding, speech, social inclusion, and access to timely care. Too often, families cannot afford the treatment they need.
Smile Asia exists to help bridge that gap.
We are a global alliance of charities working together to treat children with facial deformities such as cleft lip and palate. Beyond delivering free surgery, we also work to raise standards of care through collaborative learning, professional exchange, and long-term capacity building.
OUR MODEL
What makes Smile Asia different is our alliance model.
Unlike many international charities, Smile Asia does not operate through a central headquarters that imposes one country’s systems and practices on another. Instead, we work through an International Secretariat and a network of independent member charities. This allows each member to operate in ways that respect local context, local regulations, and local healthcare realities.
At the same time, all member charities follow extensive medical policies and standards shaped by professionals from both resource countries and programme countries. We value local expertise and believe quality care works best when it is collaborative.
OUR VISION
Raise standards of medical care by creating opportunities for collaborative learning through the delivery of free surgery to children with facial deformities.
OUR MISSION
– Create platforms of learning through medical volunteering
– Deliver free surgical care to children with facial deformities
– Establish training and education programmes for volunteers
– Build a knowledge base that is open and collaborative
– Promote a culture of volunteerism in the community
HOW WE DELIVER CARE
Medical Missions: We organise medical missions that deliver free surgical care while promoting learning, professional exchange, and skills transfer.
Care Centres: We work with local hospitals and partners to expand access to surgical care through outreach and comprehensive care centres.
Education and Training: We strengthen local capacity through specialised learning and mission-based education.
Volunteering and Awareness: We encourage healthcare professionals to contribute their skills and time while building awareness of cleft care.
Student Initiative: We encourage volunteerism and leadership development within the student community.
Singapore Care: We advance our objectives through selected Singapore-based activities, including post-operative care, research, and infrastructure development.
LOOKING AHEAD
Smile Asia is expanding its scope to include Maternal and Child Health Checks. A pilot child health check was conducted recently, and we are exploring opportunities to scale and replicate this initiative across various countries in Asia.