Twenties for Smileys:)

Support from Smile Train HQ. Thank you Adina :)

Here's the thing: This year, I simply want to make my birthday matter. I'll be turning a year older on Friday, 26th November and my birthday wish this year is to make 5 kids smile. Instead of gifts or the like, I would like to ask you to consider donating RM20 on my 20th birthday and 100% will be for the Smile Train. With the aim of "Changing the World One Smile at a Time", the Smile Train is an international organization dedicated to providing free cleft lip and palate surgeries for children in rural and poor places and cleft-related training for doctors:)

Try smiling right now. It's so simple, right?:) Having a cleft though, is more than just an impaired smile, it's about not being able to feed themselves properly, speech impediments, taunts and jeers from peers, and a fate ultimately sealed with distress, anguish and agony. Honestly. And that's why donating toward this cause will not just give them a new smile, but a new chance at life:)

 It will be the most awesome gift ever to make kids smile on your birthday, and not just them but their parents and families too! You can: 1) donate to my maybank account number MAYBANK 162674045935 (even by cash if you can meet me) or 2) simply tell more people about this cause by posting this link on your Facebook or Twitter:)

A little bit of 'Her'story: Some of you might know I've been working on a personal project raising funds for an international cleft organization. Ever since I stumbled upon the advertisement, there's been so much going on. On my first ever personal project, I saved my own pocket money and raised RM600 in total. The thank-you reply letter from Smile Train was that little 4-year-old Marawan from Djibouti had received cleft repair because of that fund:)

Addressed to my dad because
he banked the money from his account.

Little Marawan from Djibouti:)

On my second project, I raised funds for the Smile Train again by delivering speeches to places "close to my heart" and getting all donors to sign on a huge banner. A few months back, my dad and I went to Kerala, India to personally deliver the Malaysian Donation funds raised (RM 2000 over a span of 8 months!) together with the banner of signatures to the Charles Pinto Centre for Cleft Lip and Palate where we met Dr Hirji and his  dedicated team and many many children with clefts! You can read more about Smile Train to Kerala at this link:)

At the hospital ward.
Charles Pinto Centre for Cleft Lip and Palate.
Thrissur, India.

The banner now hangs proudly on the hospital wall.
These are the names of the heroes who decided to
 Change the World One Smile At A Time
by donating toward this cause.

So that's my brief story on this journey so far:) Why still raise funds? Well, there are still hundreds and thousands of children out there in dire need of cleft repair. Why stop now?:)


Note to all: To people I sent emails directly and tagged on Facebook, especially friends, please do not feel obliged:) I would be most delighted if you can just share with others so that they can know more about clefts OR it can spark an idea about fundraising; and that would make me thrilled!:) Should you wish to contribute any less than RM20, I would still be doubly ecstatic!:D

Idea inspired by Charity:Water.

Immense gratitude to Jamilah Samian for reviewing:)