![Oscar holding a picture of himself before free Smile Train cleft lip and plate surgery in Zambia.](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-04/oscar-after-free-cleft-surgery-holding-before-picture-zambia.jpg?itok=u-8JmCUs)
Oscar is a Gift
How a mother found the strength to raise eight boys on her own and a son found the strength to smile.
![Dr Esther Nyambura Njoroge](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-03/dr-esther-nyambura-njoroge.jpg?itok=qnfChSdH)
A Calling and a Duty: Advocating for Universal Health Coverage
An interview with Dr. Esther Njoroge-Muriithi.
![Livingstone with his friends after cleft lip and cleft palate surgery](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/livingstone-with-friends-after-cleft-lip-cleft-palate-treatment.jpg?itok=zhxVMF1U)
Livingstone Clings to Life
Cleft surgery was only one piece of Livingstone's journey from malnourished baby to star of his village.
![Mirian sits in a dress with untreated cleft lip](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/mirian-sits-in-dress.jpg?itok=EsVtwYsk)
A Warrior at Heart
At one month old, Mirian weighed just four pounds. Five months later, with the support of our local partners, she had transformed into a happy, chubby baby.
A Virtual Journey of Smiles to Africa
Smile Train staff in Africa are ready to show you the impact of your support.
![Samson's mom hold an image of Samson before cleft surgery](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/samson-holding-before.jpg?itok=QB0FEtXr)
Baby Samson’s Superhuman Strength
Aunt Rebecca did not trust that her sister would provide Samson with the special care he needed. So, she brought him back to the place he was born, the tiny-two room house he now shared with 13 relatives, all female.
Smile Train Regional Update: Africa
![Maria before her cleft surgery](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-01/maria-before-surgery-super.jpg?itok=cIdu5sXn)
It’s Never Too Late to Dream
Maria has been waiting for cleft surgery since 1953. When the opportunity came, her son wanted her to pass.
![Mohammad at refugee camp living with an untreated cleft lip](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/mohammad-before-cleft-lip-surgery.jpg?itok=MLP3MkW2)
A Smile 40 Years In The Making: A Rohingya Refugee’s Journey
Though Mohammad's future is uncertain, Smile Train has given him hope.
![Ayubu before cleft lip surgery](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/ayubu-before-cleft-lip-surgery.jpg?itok=9wYWba9j)
A Smile That Brightens And Enlightens
Ayubu's classmates harassed him relentlessly for years because of a local myth about clefts. When he was 10 years old, his mother heard there was hope at a hospital less than an hour away.
![Valery holds the image of herself before cleft lip surgery](/sites/default/files/styles/1_column_470_x_305/public/2021-02/valery-holding-before-cleft-surgery-image.jpg?itok=89hoR6nv)
The Smile Virtuoso
When Valery was born, her parents cried at the sight of her cleft. Now, thanks to continuing treatment sponsored by Smile Train, Valery fills their lives with song and music.