Five years ago, Kalid was born with a cleft lip and palate in West Haraghe, a region of Ethiopia over ten hours away from the capital of Addis Ababa. His family did not know who to turn to for support and his ability to speak clearly and participate in school was limited as a result.
Thanks to the support of donors like you, Transforming Faces launched a pilot project in 2019 with local partner Project Harar Ethiopia, focused on improving access to community-based mobilization, counselling and speech therapy for children born with cleft lip and palate in remote regions.
Through this program, Kalid’s parents attended community outreach training led by a graduate of Ethiopia’s inaugural class of trained speech therapists and Kalid was able to access the care he needs to communicate clearly and with confidence at last.
Since receiving treatment, Kalid’s speech has subsequently improved and his prospects for a happy and healthy future are bright. Inspired by his care team, Kalid hopes to one day be a doctor!