Spring Charity Book Sale – April 19 – 21, 2024
Join Operation Smile UAE in the Al Wahda Mall Main Atrium on Friday, April 19 to Sunday, April 20 for our Spring Charity Book Sale.
Proceeds will help provide free and safe surgery to children and young adults born with cleft conditions.
We will have 1000s of pre-loved books for sale, in both English and Arabic.
We will be open each day from 10 AM to 11 PM
We will accept cash or card for payment.
In June, I embarked on a life-changing mission with Operation Smile to Koforidua, Ghana. This journey took me to a place where hope and transformation thrived, where lives were forever altered. Among the many incredible stories I encountered, there was one that touched my heart deeply, leaving an indelible mark on my soul. It is the story of a 25-year-old woman who had lived her entire life with a complete cleft lip, yet managed to find love, start a family, and finally, receive the gift of a transformed life.
The Arrival in Koforidua:
As our team arrived to Koforidua, the air was filled with anticipation and excitement. We were greeted warmly by the local community, who had longed for the arrival of Operation Smile’s medical volunteers. The mission aimed to provide life-changing surgeries to individuals born with cleft lips and palates, granting them the chance to smile with confidence and live without the burden of their condition.
Meeting the 25-Year-Old Woman:
Among the patients we encountered, one woman’s story stood out from the rest. She was a 25-year-old lady, who had lived her entire life with a complete cleft lip. Despite the challenges she faced, she had managed to build a life filled with love, hope, and resilience. She had gotten married and recently given birth to a beautiful baby girl.
The Transformation:
As a member of the surgical team, I had the privilege of operating on her to repair her cleft lip. The surgery was a success, and the following day, as I walked into the ward, I was greeted by a sight that brought tears of joy to my eyes. There, holding her baby girl, was she, looking like a completely different person.
The Joyful Encounter:
For a moment, I was taken aback, as I mistook the baby for the patient. It was only when I remembered that I had operated on the mother that the realization of her transformation hit me. Her radiant smile and the newfound confidence in her eyes were tangible evidence of the profound impact that the surgery had made on her life.
A Life Transformed:
Witnessing her caring for her little girl was a testament to the life-altering change that Operation Smile had brought to her. No longer burdened by her cleft lip, she now had the opportunity to embrace motherhood with renewed self-assurance and optimism. Her transformation reached far beyond physical appearance, extending into every aspect of her life.
Conclusion:
My experience with Operation Smile in Koforidua, Ghana, left an indescribable imprint on my heart. Through witnessing that lady’s transformation, I realized the immense power of a simple surgery to bring hope, joy, and a brighter future to individuals who had endured a lifetime of challenges. As I continue on my journey as a medical professional, I carry the memories of that lady and countless others like her, inspiring me to make a difference in the lives of those in need. Operation Smile’s mission in Ghana exemplified the true essence of compassion, unity, and the transformative power of a smile.
The Links Charity Golf Day will be hosted at Yas Links Abu Dhabi on 14th of October 2023 (12:30 shotgun) in partnership with Marriott International, supported by Golf Club Captains Leonie Sullivan and Francois Bosch. Our chosen charity is Operation Smile UAE.
TOURNAMENT DETAILS
ENTRY FEE
Single & Dual Member Midweek/SBGC Member/DG Member Marriott Guest/Visitor
Dinner onlyEntry Includes: Entry Free, On Course Competitions, Prizes, On-Course Beverages, Post Round Food & Beverage.
AED I00 of each entry will go towards the charity.
AED 250 AED 595 AED 795 AED 250
Hole Sponsorships available from AED 10,000.Silent Auction & Lucky Prize Draw on the day.
After a successful 2022 event which raised over AED 80,000, join us as we look to raise AED 100,000 for Operation Smile in our Annual Charity Golf Day!
Secure your space by emailing [email protected]
Autumn Charity Book Sale !
Operation Smile UAE will host a charity book sale in Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi from Thursday, October 26 to Saturday, October 28, 2023
Open from 10 AM – 11PM in the Main Atrium, Ground Floor (Hazza’ Bin Zayed Street entrance)
We will have over 10,000 pre-loved books available.
Children’s, Young Adult, Fiction, Non-fiction, Arabic, French and much more!
All proceeds from the sale will go towards providing free and safe surgery to children born with cleft conditions.
PLEASE NOTE – WE ARE NOT ACCEPTING BOOK DONATIONS.
Join us at Hudayriyat Cycling Track on Sunday November 12th for a great fund raising event for the whole family.
Need to rent a bike? Contact Wolfi’s Click Here
Register via My Race Result Click Here
All proceeds will help provide free surgery to children with cleft conditions.
40KM Cycling for Smiles Challenge 6:45 AM start 105 AED (per person)
20KM Cycling Challenge 8:00 AM start 75 AED (per person)
10KM Junior Cycling Challenge 8:00 AM start 55 AED (per person)
10KM Family Cycle (non competitive) 8:30 AM start 40 AED (per person)
3KM Family Cycle (non competitive) 8:30 AM start 40 AED (per person)
In March Operation Smile UAE answered the call from Operation Smile Malawi for urgently needed linens for their cleft and burns unit at a hospital in Malawi.
Marriott hotels in Abu Dhabi, who are long time OSUAE supporters, donated gently used sheets and towels, as well as a venue to sort the items.
Over four days more than 15 community and five student volunteers joined the Operation Smile UAE team to inspect, sew, and pack the linens. One room was set up as a sewing room, where volunteers (some of whom brought their own machines!) hemmed the sheets to the required size. In another room a team inspected, sorted and packed the items to ship to Malawi.
The sheets are already in use in Malawi.
We had so many sheets that we were also able to send a suitcase full back with Richmond, a medical volunteer from Operation Smile Ghana who attended our recent surgical mission in Abu Dhabi.
This Ramadan, join Operation Smile UAE in their campaign to #LightTheWay for those affected by cleft conditions by spreading awareness and encouraging donations.
This campaign focuses on giving hope and healing to those who need it most. Let’s come together this Ramadan and show that we can make a difference in the lives of children with cleft conditions. Let’s light the way for those in need, and help them find their way to healing and hope.
As little as 880AED helps provide surgery to a child with a cleft condition. This is possible thanks to the generous contributions of medical professionals who volunteer their time and expertise, as well as corporations that donate critical supplies and equipment necessary for safe surgery. This cost includes expenses incurred for essential medical team members to be at a surgical program, the expenses for additional required supplies and cargo shipping costs.
At Operation Smile, we envision a future where health and dignity are improved through safe surgery. Our mission is to create solutions that deliver safe surgery to people where it’s needed most, and through our expertise in treating cleft lip and cleft palate, we are making this a reality.
Help us #LightTheWay this Ramadan by spreading the word, donating or taking part in the various activities organised throughout the campaign.
Download the patient information leaflet here
Download the information leaflet here
At the end of January, eight Operation Smile medical volunteers from the UAE and seven guest volunteers from Mubadala who sponsored the mission, joined other international and Egyptian volunteers at the Operation Smile Egypt surgical mission in Aswan, Egypt.
During the busy six day mission,143 patients were screened, with 78 receiving corrective surgery for their cleft condition.
OSUAE would like to thank the hardworking UAE medical volunteers who attended, as well as the team from Mubadala.
Mubadala’s recent MOU with OSUAE will ensure that two more international missions are funded this year, providing many more new smiles to children in need.
Watch the video to see how Operation Smile changed lives in Aswan, one smile at a time.
ABU DHABI, 19th January, 2023 (WAM) — Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala), signed an agreement with Operation Smile UAE, to sponsor three international volunteering missions in 2023.
The first mission will take place at the end of January going to Egypt, where its employee volunteers will support children and adults as they undergo transformative procedures for cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial anomalies.
The agreement was signed by Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and member of the board of OSUAE, and Homaid Al Shimmari, Deputy Group CEO and Chief Corporate and Human Capital Officer at Mubadala, in the presence of H.H. Sheikha Alyazia bint Saif Al Nahyan, Founder, Chair of the Board and Patron of Operation Smile UAE, and wife of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The partnership with Operation Smile UAE was established as a result of Mubadala employees’ eagerness to support international causes that support children, as well as the important work the charity executes for communities worldwide.
Sheikha Alyazia said, “Operation Smile UAE has grown and accomplished so much since 2011 and we are delighted that Mubadala has agreed to partner with us and share our vision of providing surgeries for all children with cleft conditions. By sponsoring three international missions Mubadala will help us reach children throughout the world who would otherwise not have access to safe surgical care and not only improve their lives but the lives of their families and communities. We continue to encourage others to support our cause and share our belief that every child deserves a smile.”
Al Shimmari said, “As a global and responsible investor, we proactively seek ways to engage and make a positive difference in the communities where we deploy capital. It is an honour for our employees, through our Employee Volunteering Program, to partner with Operation Smile UAE. In our fifth year of volunteering and as we continue to make a tangible positive lasting impact.”
A total of five volunteers from Mubadala ─ will support the mission across several areas including child-life area support, data collection and patient screening and applicants’ registration, they will be joined by six of our Operation Smile credentialed medical volunteers from Mubadala Health – a network of world-class healthcare providers. The volunteers include one surgeon, two anaesthetists, two nurses and a dentist.
Mubadala’s Employee Volunteering Program is a purpose-driven engagement platform that provides meaningful opportunities for employees to contribute their time, skills and charity to the community. The Program was launched in 2018 with a focus on supporting the Special Olympic World Games and has continued to evolve, enabling the organisation to make a difference through volunteering activities in line with its responsible investment approach.
We’ve had a busy autumn here at Operation Smile UAE, with several fundraising events and a medical mission in Abu Dhabi. Read all about in the December 2022 newsletter
View and Download it below!