Greetings Opsmilers

In the blink of an eye, more than half of 2011 has flitted past, and I hope you agree that the past months have been very eventful for the Operation Smile Singapore Student Chapter (OSSSC). When you look back at the many activities, from the facebook event to the most recent Harry Potter movie screening, I also hope you agree that those were some hectic days with the happiest memories spent toiling with the friends you’ve made through Operation Smile.

For the rest of the year, our activities will ease so we will be taking a little break from our monthly updates till the end of the year. Meanwhile, do continue to keep Operation Smile in a special place in your hearts, and wear your Smiley shirt to tide you through your busiest days!

Love,

OSSSC NEC

Local Updates

Stitch for Smile Workshop

Operation Smile Singapore conducted a Stitch for Smile workshops at the Operation Smile Singapore office. Led by Michelle, Manager (Finance and Administration), participants had a whale of a time as they employed their creativity and aesthetic sense in creating kawaii soft toys out of socks! Toys made on that day contribute towards the completion of an order of 200 sock toys that is required next year. Each toy, hand-sewn, is sold at S$10 with all proceeds going to Operation Smile Singapore. Look forward to more workshops in the future!

IGNITE! Music Festival

IGNITE! Music Festival is an annual, student-driven music festival by Republic Polytechnic and it moved itself into its fourth year of celebration and the first and second of July 2011! The outdoor music festival provides an excellent platform for local independent bands to showcase what they have got to offer!

Our Republic Polytechnic Student Chapter set up an Operation Smile booth at the festival and approached interested members of the public to ‘shower them with the most important information about Operation Smile’ as Syahiran, President of the RP Chapter enthused. Syah continues:

‘All in all, I feel good that there are still many people with their hearts opened up for new experiences and care for others. Did I mention that we sold quite a number of t-shirts? We had 65 of them initially and sold 33 of them in the end which makes S$335… By the way, the $5 extra is actually a donation from 2 students. ^^’

Thank you RP, for your infectious enthusiasm and joy!

Student Chapters

NYGH Talk

On 19 July, Tuesday, Secondary 3 girls from Nanyang Girls’ High School enjoyed a talk by Justyn, our Student Chapter Advisor, about Operation Smile and the capacity of student’s contributions to our cause. We hope to conduct more sharing sessions to spread the word about Operation Smile, so please feel free to email us at osssc.nec@gmail.com if you are keen on arranging one.

Family Fundraising Dinner

Yvonne Ng, a Year 4 medical student, and Terrence Hui from the National University of Singapore Medical Chapter organized a family fund-raising dinner for Operation Smile Singapore! Yvonne shares about the event with us:
"They say that charity begins at home, and we took the idea quite literally. Our families usually hold dinner parties for the usual aunty-uncle catch up session and where the kids get to run about or catch up on the latest gossip at school. Too painfully aware of the 30-70 rule and what happens to most of the money that is being fund-raised on a 'public' arena, we had decided early on that when we held an event for Operation Smile, all the donations must definitely be able to be directed to our overseas missions. Terrence and I felt it was an opportune moment to raise awareness for the Operation Smile organization's cause at one of these dinner sessions, and the response we got was a true blessing! We started off with a simple sharing session on what OpSmile was really about, some had heard about it via the radio, while others were clueless and were more than happy to let us have our take on it. What really stole their hearts then was the short video screening on 'Lulu' and the many others that Mr Justyn had created. A week later, many of my uncles emailed me on how to direct their donations! We were really happy and encouraged by the response to our simple effort and we would most definitely be doing many more of these screenings whenever a host allows us to open our traps at their dinners!

Congratulations to Yvonne and Terrence for raising S$6500 from this simple and meaningful event!

Harry Potter Movie Screening

Operation Smile Singapore Medical Student Chapter @ National University of Singapore (NUS) and the NUS Medical Society, in conjunction with Operation Smile Singapore, held a charity movie screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2D). Held on 20th July 2011 at Suntec City, WE Cinemas, tickets were sold at S$10, with all proceeds from the ticket sales going to Operation Smile Singapore. To add a touch of meaning to this activity, a booth was set up to tell people more about Operation Smile. Many students and members of the public were interested to know more about our cause as well. We would like to applaud the tremendous collaboration by our Medical Chapter and the NUS Medical Society, and we look forward to future collaborations in meaningful endeavours such as this.

Batam Mission

On 17 July 2011, Facilitators from our 2011: Now is the Time camp and the National Executive Committee (NEC) went to Batam, Indonesia, where a medical mission had just begun! Armed with bundles of shirts for the children, a cherry banner painted by all participants of our camp, and bright smiles, we headed off to Rumah Sakit Awal Bros in Batam. A total of 177 patients from Batam and the rest of the Kepri region were screened on that day so the medical team could understand their conditions better and decide who gets operated for this mission. We managed to visit both the mission hospital and the patient shelter, the Asrama Haji to meet the patients and their families. By the end of the day, a total of 100 surgeries for the upcoming four surgery days were arranged. Read on for a reflection about the trip by Kristabella, President of the OSSSC NEC.

More information about the mission can be found via: http://www.operationsmile.org/living_proof/from-the-field/2011/batam-indonesia-july.html

Reflections from Batam Mission

17th July 2011 was the very first time as many as 14 students got the opportunity to attend an Operation Smile mission together. Our deepest gratitude goes out to Mr. Abhimanyu Talukdar, Executive Director of Operation Smile Singapore for his unwavering commitment towards student development and the creation of such amazing opportunities.

The day we arrived was screening day, where over 200 patients from Indonesian islands near and far reported eagerly to be screened for their suitability for surgery. Upon reaching the hospital, we put up a beautiful cheery banner painted specially for this mission by our student volunteers during the camp this year. The lovely banner was extremely well-received by the child-life specialist, who placed it right at the main entrance of the hospital! Thereafter, we proceeded to assume different roles and responsibilities, such as filling in Medical Records, assisting the Patient Imaging Technicians, doing colouring and handing out stickers to entertain children waiting for their turns. We also gave out lunch packets and interacted with the families in the holding area as best as we could, despite the language barrier. We tapped into whatever scraps of Bahasa Indonesia we knew, resorted to iPhone Google Translate Applications, and when all failed, we just smiled, and smiled, and smiled. After all, a smile speaks a thousand words, and transcends all boundaries.

Take a peek into these insights shared by the students who went to Batam:

It was a trip worth going for as although I didn't do much, it made me more eager and committed to helping the children, as now their smiles become my source of motivation to help them.

By appreciating the things you have, you will find that you are the richest person in the world. By complaining about the things you don't have, you will be the poorest person in the world. Their innocence to the world is what really touched me deeply.

After this trip, I realized that there are so many people in need for this operation. They want to smile and be like one of us. I saw a kid who was drinking water and the water just came out of her mouth due to her cleft lip. I realized that people just look at things from what they view but do not really know what cleft lip actually leads to and how bad some people really want this operation. I am a teenager and I can be out there doing so many things. But instead I chose to come for this mission trip which was really eye opening to me. I always tell people that we are lucky but after this trip I really know why we are really lucky.

I will remember the trip by heart and I encourage student chapters’ volunteers to take part in such mission trips whenever possible because it is when I understand better what I am truly into.

It was really touching to see the people staying at the shelter cheering for us when we were introduced as friends from Singapore who came to help. Most importantly, I was directly involved in the process; I was seeing with my eyes that I was helping to bring smiles back. It really motivates me to continue with this cause.

The children are nothing different from us - they too have their own yearning for happiness and company - and Operation Smile is bringing the rights for social integration, confidence and above all a normal personal development back to these children and their families.

This experience, to me, highlights how Operation Smile has overcome barriers of communication to give us, the more privileged few, the chance to witness the world in both its good and bad, and hence highlights the need for philanthropy work.

For many students, it was the first time seeing and interacting with so many cleft patients firsthand – an experience we are extremely honored to be part of. It was transformational to come to comprehend that so much more needs to be done in our world, and so many more lives are waiting to be healed. For many of us, this ignites the passion in us and inspires us to further devote our youth and energy to give more and more each day to humanity.

Groovy Trivia

Some environmental factors have been linked to the causes of cleft lip and/or palate formation at birth, such as maternal smoking, alcohol abuse, certain diet and medicine intake, pesticide exposure and drug abuse.

International updates

Researching the Cause of Clefting in the Congo

June 23, 2011

Operation Smile continues to focus on conducting innovative research to better understand clefting and identify its causes in order to prevent or diminish the incidence of cleft lip and cleft palate.

One of Operation Smile’s latest efforts in the research front is the current “Maternal Exposures, Genetic Susceptibility and Environmental Factors in the Etiology of Oral Clefts” project , which just took place in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Operation Smile’s Research and Outcomes Specialists collected DNA samples and epidemiological information of patients born with clefts, as well as family members present, on our third medical mission to the Congo.

Altogether, 146 individuals from affected and unaffected populations agreed to be part of the study.

Find out more about Operation Smile’s research at http://www.operationsmile.org/downloadables/news-events/publications/capacity-research.pdf.

Collecting DNA samples in Kinhasa, DRC

Operation Smile Mission to Kenya, Africa

A video on the recent Operation Smile mission to Kenya has been produced. Check it out now!

Find out more about the mission at http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=71&sid=16085732.

Guest of the Month

Mr. Stanley Tan

Chairman
National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre

Q: How did you get involved in charity work?

A: I was fortunate to be introduced to volunteerism when I was 10 years old. I joined a church youth group that visited an orphanage and a mission hospital in alternate months. I say‘fortunate’ because even though I had very little means, I learnt that my very presence made a difference to those whom we visited. I believe it was even more uplifting for me than for those I visited!

Q: To you, what is philanthropy?

A:Philanthropy can mean many things to many people. Very often, it connotessomething of a large scale, with a great impact and a sustainableeffort to give. To me, philanthropy is simply living our lives not only caring for those we love but also contributing to the betterment of the lives of others around us.

Q: What is the greatest achievement of your life?

A: To know that God can use someone as unworthy as me to help others.

Q: What is your vision for Singapore (with regards to the charity sector)?

A:I believe Singaporeans are philanthropic by nature, though itmay be an underdeveloped gift. My hope and vision is that even as we progress as a country and community,we will not be blinded by our economic success, and always remember to keep in mind the greater value of humanity and embrace that full value as individuals and as a society.

Q: What can youths do to contribute?

A:Youths are the lifeline and agents for both growth and change. In whatever you do, pursue idealism and hope for a better world for all. While you may find it hard to measure your contribution, collectively you will bring about a better Singapore and a better world.

Q: What would you like to say to the student of our student chapter?

A: I want to say 'Thank You!' Your actions impact and change the lives of those you have chosen to serve. This can't be measured; it can only be celebrated by those who gain from your giving and those around them. So, once again, 'Thank You!'

Q: Complete the sentence. Now is the time to…

A: Now is the time to give; there is never a better time.

Thank you Mr Tan for your time.

International updates

Operation Smile Singapore goes to Takeo, Cambodia!

Operation Smile Singapore sent a mission team to Takeo, Cambodia from 23rd May to 27th May.

The following is an article from the mission blog:

May 27, 2011

Today we operated on an 81-year-old woman who lived her whole life with a cleft lip.

While she was so happy when she saw her new smile for the first time, she also expressed sadness. I asked her why. She said she was so grateful and very happy that the big hole in her lips was gone, but sad at the same time, because why now at this time in her life is it finally healed?

She said she only has a few more years to live and might not have enough time to enjoy her new appearance.

She kept looking at the mirror as if she couldn’t believe the reflection was her beautiful face.

- Willie Go, Regional Medical Officer

Take a look at more photographs and updates at http://www.operationsmile.org/living_proof/from-the-field/2011/takeo-cambodia-may.html.

First Patient Treated at the New Guwahati Care Centre

The first patient to be treated at the Guwahati Comprehensive Cleft Care Centre is Rajnandini, whose name means “Princess”.

Find out more about the other patients at the Care Centre, including Lokhi, the “happy boy”, at http://www.operationsmile.org/living_proof/blog/.

Read more about the Comprehensive Care Centres at http://www.operationsmile.org/our_work/building-self-sufficiency/comprehensive-care-centers.html.

International updates

David Charvet is Operation Smile’s newest Smile Ambassador!

Operation Smile is proud to recognize actor and singer David Charvet as an official Smile Ambassador. In May, Charvet and his fiancé Brooke Burke, co-host of the hit TV show Dancing With The Stars, will serve as segment hosts for Operation Smile’s 2011 Smile Gala in New York City.

Charvet is known for his previous roles on the hit drama series Baywatch and Melrose Place. Charvet is also a pop star who has sold over 2.5 million albums to date.

"Through the eyes of my children, Heaven and Shaya, I learn more about the world around me every day,” said Charvet. “Children are our most precious blessings. Brooke and I are determined to help Operation Smile reach those children who have no other hope. We can make a difference, and give them a future filled with smiles.”

“We are so grateful for the incredible generosity of David and Brooke,” said Dr. Bill Magee, CEO and Co-Founder of Operation Smile. “Their kindness will allow us to reach even more children who are waiting for the one surgery that will change their lives forever.”

For more information about David Charvet and Operation Smile’s global efforts, please visit www.operationsmile.org/david-charvet.

Operation Smile China Celebrates the 20^th Anniversary of Operation Smile

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Operation Smile, OS Beijing is making arrangements for a charity gala and its most ambitious plan to date - 25 missions around the country and a new hospital. OS Beijing hopes that its efforts will drive the local community to volunteer and donate.

"It's when you are in a room with 300 children who can't smile and you see how that affects a child's life, that you truly understand the dimension of this issue," tells Julia Jorgenson, 24, Program Development Coordinator in Beijing for OS China. "Especially if you're coming from a Western country, odds are that you never saw a child with the deformity because surgery is secured almost immediately," said Jorgenson from the US.

Operation Smile has helped 17,000 children in China so far and expects to assist 2,000 more in 23 cities by November.

"It's clear that China is doing very well financially and there's a huge untapped resource here in terms of funding," Scott Snyder, 29, Program Development Manager for OS China. "We're also aware that corporate social responsibility is starting to catch on and we have received donations in the past years, but these were typically smaller than in other countries," said Snyder. "We'll reach out to companies, media, local governments, other charities and greater society to raise our profile in China," he added.

Cleft Awareness Programme at Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami, Florida

In April, the Operation Smile Club at Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami, Florida held a cleft awareness campaign at school. All of the club members used bandanas or scarves to cover up their faces for a day.

Many children, young adults, and adults around the world affected with clefts experience shame and isolation because of their facial deformity. They often cover their faces their faces when they go out in public. This campaign raises awareness of what cleft patients have to go through in their daily lives.

International updates

Operation Smile Remains Independent

On February 14, 2011, Operation Smile and Smile Train announced their intent to merge in order to “bring together the best volunteer doctors and other medical personnel, with the best in-country facilities, and … reach more children than the two charities would have separately”.

However, the Board of Directors of Operation Smile voted to discontinue the proposed merger on March 7, 2011. On behalf of the Board of Directors, William R. Fox, Chairman of the Board of Operation Smile, said: “Due to controversy surrounding the proposed merger, we have mutually agreed to remain independent organizations. Our focus at Operation Smile is to help more children and we do not want anything to distract from this effort. We remain committed to our model to build local medical capacity and provide quality care for the millions of children around the world who suffer from cleft lips and cleft palates.”

Take a look at a message from the Co-founders and Chairman of the Board here: http://www.operationsmile.org/about_us/leadership/message-from-the-co-founders.html.

Fourth Comprehensive Care Centre in India

Operation Smile has opened its fourth Comprehensive Care Center in Guwahati, India. The centre will treat more than 5,000 children each year for facial deformities. The new Care Centre is part of Operation Smile’s core programme to create self-sustaining healthcare networks. Operation Smile currently operates 11 Comprehensive Care Centres worldwide. Dr. Bill Magee, CEO and Co-founder of Operation Smile, said, “Operation Smile is not only committed to helping the thousands of children in Assam who are waiting for surgery, but we’re dedicated to creating sustainable medical treatment for children worldwide long after our medical missions are over. Our Care Centers provide children and families access to medical treatment who otherwise wouldn’t be able to receive it. More than creating new smiles, we are giving these children hope for a healthy and more productive future.”

The Care Centres provide patient care beyond surgery such as post-operative care, counseling, speech therapy, dentistry, orthodontics, nutrition, and ongoing training and education.

Find out more about Operation Smile’s work in Guwahati at www.operationsmile.org/guwahati.

Walk-for-Smiles by the North Broward Preparatory School Operation Smile Club

The North Broward Preparatory School Operation Smile club organised its inaugural Operation Smile One Mile Walk on March 26, 2011, located at their school. Participants received a T-shirt and enjoyed food, drinks and entertainment. They were also eligible to win prizes including gift cards and a basketball signed by the Miami Heat players. The club has already raised $25,442 from the community, businesses, and matching programs. Congratulations on their success!

Local Updates

FACEBOOK EVENT

Look out,Operation Smile Singapore Student Chapter(OSSSC)’s very first event of 2011 is coming your way!

On the 6^th of March, the OSSSC National Executive Committee (NEC) will officially launch the Facebook page titled “I 'LIKE' TO SEE YOU SMILE”. This marks the beginning of a 3-month long project that aims to raise funds and awareness about Operation Smile among the local community. Simply ‘Like’ the page to do your part for Operation Smile - our corporate sponsors have kindly agreed to donate $0.10 for every ‘Like’ received. Do tell your friends to support this worthy cause and aid us in reaching our target of 10,000 ‘Like’s!

The “I ‘LIKE’ TO SEE YOU SMILE” Facebook Page is set up in lieu of the amazing contributions of Mr. Thaddeus Lawrence, a professional speaker, presentation coach and facilitator. On 6^th March 2011, he will be setting off on a week-long, self-supported footrace, braving 250km in the Atacama Desert, Chile for Operation Smile. In this month of March, visit the page to learn more about Thaddeus and his gruelling marathon. Work your creative juices by offering your best answers to the quirkiest questions posted on the page!

Student Chapters

Hwa Chong Institution (College Section)

14 February 2011 was not only Valentine’s Day but also a day in which greater awareness of Operation Smile was created within the school population. Mr.Justyn Olby, Head of the Student Programme in Operation Smile Singapore, specially came down to give a very motivating introductory speech about Operation Smile. Mr Thaddeus Lawrence was also invited to share more about his upcoming marathon for Operation Smile. His story and goals inspired many and we are glad the 40 or so students had a chance to be touched by Justyn and Thaddeus. The sharing session resulted in a lot of interested applicants for the Student Chapter and it is heartening to see so many people wanting to touch the lives of others, one smile at a time. We hope that Operation Smile and the true stories of cleft lip patients around the world will continue to resoundin other schools through talks similar to this.

Raffles Institution (Junior College)

For the past half a year, we have focused our efforts on raising awareness within the school population about Operation Smile. Several t-shirt sales were conducted within the school to serve as a form of publicity to raise funds. Currently, we are in the midst of preparing for an upcoming event in early April – the Raffles Smile Run 2011. This event aims to gather student and teacher volunteers to participate in a charity run for Operation Smile in the RI school campus. Through this, we hope to spread the awareness about our student chapter and Operation Smile and raise funds for needy children with cleft lips, palates and facial deformities to go through the life-changing surgeries.

Republic Polytechnic

We are proposing to have a large-scale concert themed “Mosaic”. The small pieces which make up a mosaic represent every effort we make for patients to smile comfortably. The performances are little pieces of art befitting the theme “Mosaic”. A song-and-dance item similar to that of Glee may be a part of the concert! Please indicate your interest to the OSSSCNEC via osssc.nec@gmail.comif you would like to collaborate with us on this project.

Guest of the Month

Kristabella, President of OSSSC NEC, catches up with the Founder of Operation Smile Singapore, Mr Gary Loh. Mr Loh is also the Founder and Executive Chairman of First Alverstone Partners Pte Ltd.

Q: When and why did you establish Operation Smile Singapore?
A: Operation Smile Singapore was established in late 2007. It was started as a way for Singapore to connect with the rest of the Operation Smile Chapters that had been established in the past 26 years. I felt that Singapore has a unique position because we can provide funds, medical volunteers, a logistic hub and most importantly, a gateway to Asia.

Q: What is your most memorable moment as a part of Operation Smile?
A: It would be the first mission to Uzbekistan where the team was fully funded and organized by the Singapore Chapter. It was also special because it was the 49th Country for Operation Smile to enter and it’s the first Central Asian Country.

Q: What do you do outside of Operation Smile?
A: My full time job is in Private Equity. I started the company in 2007 after having had a career in Banking and Stock Broking.

Q: What is your vision for Operation Smile Singapore?
A: My vision for Operation Smile is to be the leading chapter in Asia where we can extend our scope of work to including running Operation Smile Care centres. These centres would be fully funded by us and the local country business leaders. Therefore, besides the 1 week missions where we send in the medical volunteers team, we will have centres that can run 365 days a year. Such centres will increase the number of children we can help.

Q: What would you like to say to the students in the student chapter?
A: First of all, I would like to say that I am very proud of our Student Chapters and the activities that the participants have generated are amazing. Please keep up the good work and continue to spread the word about our organization and what we are trying to do. Second, I would like to say that all our young participants continue to think outside the box and let me know what more you think we can do to help you spread the message. Finally, we will get more of the students in the Student Chapter involved in future missions and it’s our aim to develop your leadership potential further.