Operation Cleft

Operation Cleft provides a total care approach to cleft management in Bangladesh incorporating surgical management and follow-up speech therapy.

A cleft lip and palate is a debilitating deformity which can lead to difficulties with eating and drinking, talking and even hearing. These children and their parents are often shunned by society. Operation Cleft provides low-cost cleft surgery and speech therapy services to these disadvantaged children and adults in Bangladesh. Operations average around A$200.

Operation Cleft funds local, skilled surgeons to conduct monthly operations and a number of larger camps in regional locations are held where a team of surgeons comes together and operates intensively repairing between 50 and 100 clefts over a one week period. Operation Cleft has recently funded its 3000th operation.

Surgery may dramatically change their visual appearance but does not necessarily change their speech. Operation Cleft is also working with and training the local professionals in Bangladesh to be able to provide cleft related speech therapy services to ensure optimum outcomes for these children and adults.

The project is administered by the Operation Cleft Australia Foundation Trust, a fund managed by the Rotary Club of Box Hill Central and has Ancillary Deductible Gift Recipient status. The project is supported by a team of volunteers from Rotary and the community.

For more information, or to arrange a speaker for your club, please contact the Chairman of our District Operation Cleft Committee, Brian Martin, by clicking on the following email link:  Operation Cleft Chairman

You can visit the website www.operationcleft.org.au on the following link:  Operation Cleft website

Click on the following link to view the Operation Cleft in Action DVD on YouTube: Operation Cleft in Action