Rasoafine Gave Up Hope of Getting Cleft Surgery — Then She Found Smile Train

When Rasoafine was born with a cleft, fear kept her mother from seeking out treatment. She had heard wild stories from a nearby village: People had actually died after undergoing cleft surgery. Wanting no such fate for her little girl, she held out hope that maybe it would be safer if they waited to seek care until she became an adult.

So Rasoafine grew up with a cleft. She had to leave school because the bullying was so bad. Sometimes she’d even get into fights — “I was stronger and well built than most of them, anyway,” she said.  

She was “always sad,” she remembered. “Throughout my life, I was verbally harassed, especially behind my back.

“But their words didn’t stop me from doing what I wanted — attending dances, celebrations, and events like Women’s Day in March.” 

As Rasoafine grew to adulthood, got married, and started a family, she gave up hope that finding cleft care would ever be possible.

But then she met Tsingala.

Tsingala is a scout affiliated with Smile Train. His job is to travel to villages around Madagascar and speak with local communities, raising awareness about cleft education and treatment options. He is just one of many scouts deployed all across the island who work to ensure that every single person who needs cleft care has access to it.

Rasoafine listened to Tsingala and immediately determined to travel and get surgery. Her daughters had their reservations — like their grandmother many years prior, they had heard frightening rumors about medical procedures that harmed people.

Rasoafine assured them it was alright. She and her sister-in-law followed Tsingala and another scout to Mahajanga along the coast, where she finally received the cleft surgery she’d been waiting for all her life. When she returned home, “everyone was amazed and happy for me.”

It’s been a year since Rasoafine received her cleft surgery. In that time, she has already referred someone to Smile Train, and she plans to continue doing so with others. “If they’re interested, I provide contact numbers and share my story to reassure them.

“I recently had a check-up, and I’m healthy and doing well,” she continued. “My family is happy. I’m very grateful. My dream is to always remain joyful in life.”

If she could meet the donors who helped her receive cleft surgery after a lifetime of waiting, she knows exactly what she would say. “I would express my heartfelt gratitude. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to have this surgery. May God bless them.”