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INTERNATIONAL. Top German fashion house Hugo Boss and leading travel retail publisher The Moodie Report have entered into a unique sponsorship agreement, one in which all revenues are being donated to a richly deserving charity – The Smile Train.
The Smile Train (www.smiletrain.org) is dedicated to helping the millions of children in the world who suffer from cleft lips and palates. The programme provides free surgery for children, free training for doctors and research to find a cure.
100% of donations go towards programmes and 0% towards overheads. Since 1999 The Smile Train has provided free cleft surgery to over 200,000 children and trained tens of thousands of medical professionals. It now has programmes and partners in 61 countries. A simple surgical procedure can cure 100% of all clefts, but it is beyond reach for families in many countries who earn less than US$1 a day.
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It takes as little as 45 minutes and under US$300 to turn the despair of infants like this gorgeous young child, Shiva from India, into hope | |
Under the terms of what the two companies call a fun sponsorship agreement with a serious purpose, The Moodie Report Publisher Martin Moodie and Deputy Publisher Dermot Davitt will be dressed by Hugo Boss during the forthcoming ACI Business & Trinity Forum that The Moodie Report is organising with ACI World – with the former wearing Boss at all major industry events during the year.
But instead of The Moodie Report receiving the sponsorship revenue, it will be donated to The Smile Train – and matched equally by The Moodie Report. The total of £15,000 sponsorship (US$29,400) will pay for surgery for 100 children – “turning despair into hope and tears into smiles” as The Smile Train puts it.
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Elias from Brazil, before and after cleft surgery – tears turned into smiles | |
The Moodie Report Publisher Martin Moodie said: “We’re delighted to enter into this unique sponsorship agreement with such a dynamic international company as Hugo Boss, in what will be a richly rewarding partnership. Most children with clefts in developing countries live in desperate poverty and are often hidden in shame and isolation. By working with The Smile Train and Hugo Boss we will bring joy to 100 children and their parents. We also want to help publicise the work of The Smile Train to a much wider audience – and to encourage our always generous industry to donate even more.”
Hugo Boss Head of Travel Retail Nadine Heubel said: “We are very excited about this very special sponsorship agreement. We are all priviliged to work in an industry in which we have many reasons to smile every day. Knowing that with our initative we can give back the smile to children is especially rewarding for us. Hopefully we can inspire many of our industry colleagues to follow our cause. Besides this, we are obviously honoured to have such a great brand ambassador as Martin and to showcase the brand through him and Dermot at ‘Trinity’.”
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When Shan Farong from China was born his parents were told his cleft was a curse. Traumatised, they abandoned him to an orphanage. Eight years later, Shan’s life was changed forever thanks to free cleft surgery from The Smile Train | |
MORE INFORMATION ON THE SMILE TRAIN
Cleft surgery funded by donations will help provide what Smile Train describes as “a true, modern-day medical” miracle, which takes as little as 45 minutes.
Clefts are a major problem in developing countries where there are millions of children who are suffering with unrepaired clefts. Most cannot eat or speak properly. Most are not allowed to attend school or hold a job. And all face very difficult lives filled with shame and isolation, pain and heartache.
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“We are all privileged to work in an industry in which we have many reasons to smile every day. Knowing that with our initative we can give back the smile to children is especially rewarding for us“ |
Nadine Heubel, Head of Travel Retail, Hugo Boss |
The good news is that every single child with a cleft can be helped with surgery that costs as little as US$250-300 and takes as little as 45 minutes.
– The Smile Train helps children in 63 of the world’s poorest countries.
– It has the lowest cost per surgery of any cleft charity.
– It has the best safety and quality record amongst cleft charities.
– Based on the ‘teach a man to fish’ philiosophy, Smile Train empowers local doctors in developing countries, thus keeping costs down.
SMILE TRAIN STORIES
Juliana, one year old, Philippines
“Just days after Juliana was born with a cleft lip and palate, her mother abandoned her, leaving her with a stranger named Virginia Navarro. Mrs Navarro could barely feed herself and her family, but she took the baby in. But because of Juliana’s clefts, it was too difficult to care for her. Juliana had problems eating and Mrs Navarro knew she couldn’t pay for the expensive cleft repair. But rather than abandoning this poor little girl, she brought her to the Bethlehem House of Bread, a home for orphaned or abandoned children.
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“By working with Hugo Boss we will bring joy to 100 children and their parents – and help publicise the work of The Smile Train“ |
Martin Moodie, Publisher, The Moodie Report |
Despite her clefts, the missionaries took her in and named her Juliana de Bethlehem. They then brought her to a Smile Train partner in Manila where she was able to have her cleft lip and palate repaired. Meeting Juliana today is truly inspiring. Her new smile is gorgeous. It melts your heart knowing she now has a future full of smiles.”
Nicholas, nine months old, Venezuela
“Nicholas’s parents were distraught when they saw their son’s cleft deformity and were too embarrassed to bring him out in public. They hid Nicholas from friends and family, caring for him in seclusion in their tiny home, in a poor, slum area of Venezuela. His parents were overcome with guilt for having to hide Nicholas, knowing that they could never afford to pay for surgery.
One day, they heard a radio announcement that Hospital de Especialidades Pediatricas was performing surgeries for children born with cleft deformities and that the cost of the surgeries was being covered by The Smile Train.
It took them an entire day by bus to get to the hospital, but their trip was well worth it. Soon after they arrived, they received the wonderful news that Nicholas would receive free surgery. The surgery was a success and now the whole family is overcome with happiness and smiles!”
Kabir, seven months, Nigeria
“Kabir was born with a bilateral cleft lip and this had a devastating impact on his appearance. Whenever his mother took him out in public, they were the subject of curious stares and ridicule. So, looking out for her son’s best interests, Kabir’s mother kept him hidden away at home.
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In Nigeria, as in most developing countries, many people think clefts are an evil curse and a bad omen. Many babies born with clefts are immediately abandoned. The families are afraid that the cleft will end up ruining all of their lives. Kabir’s mother never considered abandoning her son, but at the same time she was very fearful for their future. Sitting together on the dirt floor of the small hut they call home, Kabir and his mother had no plan and no hope for the future. Until they heard about The Smile Train.
One day, a family friend told them about an amazing program at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, Nigeria. It was sponsored by The Smile Train and was offering free cleft surgery to poor African children who could not afford it. Soon, Kabir and his mother were sitting face-to-face with Smile Train partner surgeon, Dr Emmanuel A. Ameh who explained that little Kabir’s cleft could be fixed through surgery. In addition, since Kabir was only seven months old, his cleft would be fixed before he developed any speech problems.
Overnight Kabir went from being a seven-month-old shut-in with no future to a very lucky little boy. His surgery went very well and the result is inspiring. Today his mother takes him everywhere she goes and she will never forget how both of their futures were changed by a surgery that took less than an hour.”
