In South Africa, mothers are speaking out about the challenges and triumphs of raising children born with cleft lip and palate, a condition affecting the lip and roof of the mouth.

Yvette Claassens from Delmas, Mpumalanga, initially struggled to accept her newborn son who was born with the condition, having had the same condition herself as a child.Her son has already undergone two surgeries and requires another to properly repair his palate for speech.Meanwhile, Godelive Nzwiba from Troyeville cares for her grandson Victor, who was abandoned by his mother at birth due to his cleft condition.Victor experienced difficulties eating and speaking before undergoing multiple surgeries.

Speech therapist Roslyn Lentin explained that unrepaired cleft palates can affect speech, hearing, and language development, but children often recover well with proper surgery and support.

Operation Smile South Africa, marking 20 years of providing free cleft surgeries across South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, highlighted the importance of volunteer medical support and access to specialised healthcare.

For these families, surgery means more than cosmetic improvement: it allows children to eat, speak, and live more like their peers, providing a profound impact on their quality of life.