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Auxilia Katongomara, Chronicle Reporter
THE Operation of Hope wound up business at Mpilo Hospital after conducting 16 successful cleft lip and palate operations on Thursday.

The volunteer team led by Jennifer Mora has spread joy on mothers and children affected by the condition.

The team conducted the last five surgeries and hopes to come back to Bulawayo before year end.

“We have probably conducted over 2,000 surgeries in 10 years for free.

“During our last two trips in Harare we realised that there were many coming from this area and decided to open our doors wide and come here to assist them. It’s been fun for us to be here, 16 operations, four palates and the rest are cleft lip,” said Mora.

She said on the next trip two surgeons would come along in order to conduct more operations.

“We are hoping to be invited back in October, this time with two surgeons to increase this number to about 43,” said Mora.

Sitholile Ndebele, 23 from Maninje area in Plumtree said the operation had brought hope for her six year old daughter Nobuhle Sibanda whose friends would laugh at her because of her condition.

“My daughter has been a laughing stock. She was even reluctant to go to school. Even her teachers would say that her words were inaudible,” said Ndebele.

“However, I would like to thank the doctors for this operation and World Vision which alerted us of this exercise,” said Ndebele.

Gogo Sibongile Ngwenya from Tsholotsho narrated that people would discriminate her grandson and laugh at him because of his cleft lip.

“I feel happy. This is the second time that my grandchild has undergone surgery. The first time was in Harare and this time they were closing the inside. My daughter was shocked when she gave birth, every time she looked at her son she would cry, at first it pained me but I accepted it. A child is a gift from God,” she said.

“When I met people carrying my grandson babeqwebana bathi ubhabhule ihotshi (she is carrying a pig) but I was unfazed”.

The boy is attending Early Childhood Development classes at Sipepa Primary School where teachers have complained that his words are inaudible.

Mpilo clinical director Dr Solwayo Ngwenya commended Operation of Hope for the successful operations.

“These operations are life changing. You can imagine someone growing up with a deformity up to the age of 17. So I can see the elation and gratitude the patients will get from this,” said Dr Ngwenya.

“We are very grateful for them to coming and we hope that by the time they come back we would have opened our refurbished theatres to create more space,” he said.

He said there were about 60 people on the waiting list with cleft lips and palates.

“It appears this group of people has been failing to access these services and left to grow in the community with these deformities,” said Dr Ngwenya.

Mpilo acting chief executive officer Leonard Mabhandi commended the team for bringing their services to the southern region.

Clefts are birth defects that occur when a baby’s lip or mouth does not form properly during pregnancy. A cleft lip can be a small slit or it can be a large opening that goes through the lip to the nose.

A cleft palate occurs if the tissue that makes up the roof of the mouth does not join together completely during the pregnancy.