Abounding in Love

1. We want to make sure all Filipinos can get free cleft lip and/or cleft palate surgery, regardless of their income and proximity to the nearest hospital.
2. We want to make sure that getting a free surgery is not a financial gamble for a poor Filipino family.
3. We want to greatly expand the support available for Filipino children before and after cleft lip and/or palate surgery.

1. We start by finding children with cleft lip and/or palate. This is done by seeking permission from the local authorities, then posting information at the barangay (local municipality) halls, at the RHU's (Rural Health Units), and with local clinics.
2. When we learn about a child with cleft, we enroll them in our program, and perform a home visit to assess the extent of their needs.
3. We begin assisting the family with nutritional support and/or direct aid.
4. As soon as possible, we get the beneficiary in for an initial health assessment with a local doctor. This allows us to identify any health issues that need to be addressed before the surgical mission. Overwhelmingly, we are able to correct any health issues within our own budget, but once in a while we find a serious issue (such as an undiagnosed congenital defect) that needs to be referred to another organization.
5. Any child who is enrolled in our program, who is medically eligible for surgery, will receive cleft lip and/or cleft palate surgery free of charge.
6. When the mission occurs, we provide beneficiaries with transportation, lodging, food, and other support.
7. After the surgery, we continue to assess needs and provide support, which may include nutritional support or assistance with education costs.

We have a small but very capable staff in Cebu, and we've built a network of contacts in other parts of the Central Visayas. Over the years, we've honed our mission support and beneficiary assistance to be as efficient as possible. We're continuing to expand our capabilities.

On the program side, we're running quite well. We help hundreds of kids get cleft lip and/or palate surgery every year, distribute a lot of aid, and do so quite cost effectively.

Our biggest challenge is a lack of financial independence. A significant majority of our income comes from our founders and companies they control (such as Serviscreen). We're working to improve the funding that comes from the public, so we we can expand our scope and capabilities.