Petition for the UK government to fund the charity "Smile Train".
The Smile Train Cleft Care program works with many hospitals to relieve those affected of their deficiency of cleft lip, cleft palette or both. Smile Train provides this surgery free for anyone in the 78 countries (including the UK) that they operate in. They also offer the needed help and aftercare to support the patient and their family after the life-changing surgery. The case in some countries is so bad that all children with any form of cleft are given the name ‘Ajok’ meaning ‘cursed by God’. In many countries, children with a cleft are rejected from, or with their families, from society and can be neglected. Anyone with a cleft in poorer countries is unlikely to get a job in future life and in many countries face a difficult life. Those with clefts are liable to live lives full of shame, heartbreak, pain and most of all, isolation. But Smile Train rely on fundraising alone to provide these surgeries, free to patients, and we strongly believe that the government should give an amount of money each year to Smile Train. We think that if Smile Train does not receive the finances from the government, they will be unable to continue to provide the surgery to those who need it. Smile Train is a stable charity but with government funding, can make a huge difference to those in many other countries which currently they do not operate in and continue to change the lives of many. We want the government to support people with clefts through giving money to Smile Train. We feel strongly about our cause as many people around the world are affected by cleft lip, palette or both. We want the government to give money as it would change the lives of so many people in the UK and worldwide who are suffering from both the physical but also mental pain of having a cleft because it is a human right to be accepted.
Comment