Since 2001 Project Harar has worked in the poorest and most remote areas of Ethiopia to provide access to treatment for young patients with cleft lip and palate. Children who live in remote areas of Ethiopia already experience food insecurities due to environmental, social and economic factors, these difficulties are heightened for those with cleft lip and palate and these children can become dangerously undernourished. Babies are often unable to suckle and may be prone to choking, making breastfeeding a near impossible task. Without corrective surgery, not only will these children face malnourishment, they often go on to struggle with further developmental barriers, such as speech and h... read more Since 2001 Project Harar has worked in the poorest and most remote areas of Ethiopia to provide access to treatment for young patients with cleft lip and palate. Children who live in remote areas of Ethiopia already experience food insecurities due to environmental, social and economic factors, these difficulties are heightened for those with cleft lip and palate and these children can become dangerously undernourished. Babies are often unable to suckle and may be prone to choking, making breastfeeding a near impossible task. Without corrective surgery, not only will these children face malnourishment, they often go on to struggle with further developmental barriers, such as speech and hearing difficulties. Our cleft programme is delivered in Ethiopia by an Ethiopian Programme team who are experts in their field. In rural Ethiopia, children with cleft lip and palate are often hidden away by their families, unable to go to school or have friends. There is a lack of awareness that a cleft condition is treatable. Project Harar strives to break social stigma, working with community leaders and local health clinics to provide information and access to treatment for cleft lip and palate.
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By Beka Pollard | Fundraising and Programme Assistant
In March, one-year-old Gizachaw arrived at our programme at Gamby hospital. He arrived with his mother, seeking treatment for his cleft condition. He is the fourth child and is the first in his family... Read the full report ›By Beka Pollard | Fundraising and Programme Assistant
In November 2025, when we met Akilima, she was just ten months old. She was born with a cleft lip and for her mother the experience was frightening and overwhelming, ‘I did not know what was... Read the full report ›By Beka Pollard | Fundraising and Programme Assistant
Hundaol is a one-year-old from the Oromia Region of Ethiopia. Hundaol was born with a cleft lip which for his family, was an unexpected and deeply distressing experience. Hundaol, has two older... Read the full report ›
