Mission : Madagascar
Site : Tamatave
Year : November 2007
Coordinators :
Ananda Nel & Ronda Shelby

In November 2007, Operation Smile South Africa (OSSA) conducted its inaugural mission to a neighbouring country (as part of the World Journey of Smiles) at
Hopitaly Be, a provincial hospital in Tamatave, Madagascar.

A multi-disciplinary team of 50 volunteers, half of them from South Africa and the other half from the USA, UK, Australia, Italy and
our first volunteer from Mauritius, worked more than 10 days to screen 135 patients and provide free surgical care to 135 children and adults. The backlog of patients in Madagascar needing cleft lip and cleft palate surgery was obvious, as more than 35 patients of those operated on were in their teens or older.

The success of the mission can be attributed to the hard work, dedication, and commitment of many parties including our in-country hosts and volunteers, our South Africa financial and in-kind partners, our medical and non-medical team members, and Hopitaly BE and Tana Hospital. The Lions Club Anamalanga worked closely with OSSA providing essential assistance with regard to introductions and follow-up meetings with in-country role players, assistance with logistics, and on-the-ground planning, the painting of the hospital, as well as financially covering and logistically organising the blood, oxygen and water for the team. The Lions Club in Tamatave secured transport for the team whilst the Leo Club (the Lions Club youth club) secured the translating services of the English Club of the University of Tamatave.

In the end, the combination of the experience and the effort of the Operational Smile international team, the commitment of Madagascar's many volunteers, and forward thinking preparations made by OSSA and the generosity and hospitality of Hopitaly Be made for an incredibly successful mission and has created a model of excellence for future missions in Madagascar and, most importantly, changed the lives of many children and adults and their families for the better.