In the past half a year, several students
have become involved with the newly formed Operation Smile club at ISK. The aim
of this club is to raise awareness and hold fundraisers to support Operation
Smile. This international organization currently works in more than 60
countries to provide surgeries to children with cleft lips and cleft palates. Each
surgery costs around $240, or KSH 20,000, and takes as little as 45 minutes.
The Operation Smile Club at ISK
held its first major fundraiser on the 14th of April. This was a concert
that featured the Composers’ Club, and was a huge success. $1,800 was raised
that night, which went towards paying for the surgeries of 7 children. Due to
the success of this event, two ISK students were invited to participate in a Saturday
Clinic at the Kenyatta Hospital in May. Aashmali Patel and I decided to
participate, and we got the chance to meet several Operation Smile doctor
volunteers, as well as the three children who received their surgeries that
day.
One of the three patients was an
infant called Osman Abdille. The surgeons on the team described Osman’s case as
one of the worst they had ever seen, as he had a bilateral cleft lip and
palate. This gave him difficulties in breathing and feeding. What really stood
out to Aashmali and me was that, despite the fact that he was suffering, Osman
could not stop laughing. He didn’t seem at all frightened by all the strangers
that were surrounding him, and he had an instant connection with all of us the
second that he was brought into the OR. After the surgery was over, more than
three hours later, Osman looked completely different!
I had the chance to participate
in the week-long International Student Leadership Conference organized by
Operation Smile in Washington D.C this summer. Over 500 students from 23
countries attended this conference, whose purpose was to allow us to create a
network with each other, share ideas, learn how to share Operation Smile’s
mission, and become inspired to help change the lives of others. We had the
amazing opportunity to listen to some inspirational speakers, including the
founders of Operation Smile, William and Kathleen Magee, a U.S Olympian, Buddy
Lee, the founder of the Blink Now Foundation, Maggie Doyne, and many more. Most
importantly, we obtained some ideas of how to run a student club effectively,
and I look forward to sharing these with my fellow Operation Smile club members,
with the hopes of making this club one that will truly make a mark in our
community.
At the beginning of October, a
two-week Operation Smile mission will take place in Kisumu, in which several
children will receive their life-changing surgeries. I, along with two other
students from the US and Kenya, were invited to take part in this mission as
student volunteers, and I am sure that it will be an unforgettable experience! I
am confident and hopeful that the hard-working and dedicated Operation Smile
club members will have multiple opportunities to make a difference in the lives
of others during this academic year.
We encourage you to join the
Operation Smile club this year, and help us make an impact on the lives of
many!
Osman before his surgery
Participants of the International Student Leadership
Conference 2012 at Georgetown University
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