Smile Train India Launches First Children's Book Series To Support Cleft Awareness 

New Delhi, Oct 1, 2024: Smile Train, the world’s largest cleft-focused NGO, has launched its first picture book to promote cleft awareness, empathy, and inclusion. Titled "I Smile Like A Song", the book will be included in a five-part series. 

Through vibrant visual storytelling, the book aims to raise awareness about clefts, fostering empathy, kindness, and inclusion amongst primary school children. This first book, written by award winning children’s book writer Mamta Nainy and illustrated by Aniruddha Mukherjee, inspires young readers to embrace the message that every smile is beautiful, promoting equality and encouraging acceptance of differences from an early age.

The unveiling of the book took place at Atal Adarsh Prathmik Vidyalaya on R K Ashram Road in New Delhi recently. The launch event saw the presence of distinguished guests, including Pramod Kumar, Academic Consultant, NDMC, Rama Joshi, Principal, Atal Adarsh Prathmik Vidyalaya, Smile Train’s President and CEO, Susannah Schaefer, and Senior Vice President and Regional Director for Asia, Mamta Carroll.

Talking about the launch, Pramod Kumar, Academic Consultant, NDMC, shared, “A lot has been done to inspiring inclusion at the school level and yet there are issues which need special attention. Through this initiative, we believe that our students will not only learn to accept and appreciate differences but will also contribute to building a more compassionate society. We see immense value in introducing such storytelling tools early on, as they are vital in shaping the perspectives of future generations and promoting equality for all.”

“Smile Train's efforts in introducing stories that highlight differences in a relatable and sensitive way are commendable. As educators, we should also explore the possibilities of integrating such subjects into our school programs and activities to ensure that empathy and acceptance are deeply ingrained in the values we teach our children,” said Dr Vinay Kumar Singh, Professor and Head, Department of Education of Groups with Special Needs, National Council of Educational Research and Training.

Susannah Schaefer, Smile Train’s President and Chief Executive Officer, shared, "By fostering empathy through storytelling, Smile Train looks to build a more inclusive and compassionate society for cleft-affected children. I am thrilled to see the first book launched today at Atal Adarsh Prathmik School, RK Ashram Marg, New Delhi and thank the Department of Education, New Delhi Municipal Council for their support to this special project."

Mamta Carroll, Smile Train’s Senior Vice President and Regional Director for Asia reflecting on the journey that led to the book series, said, “During our awareness workshops in schools across Delhi, we recognized the pressing need for early education about clefts and other facial differences. This inspired us to create a book series as a medium to promote understanding and acceptance. This first-of-its-kind initiative is a significant milestone. Our long term plans include wider distribution of the book to primary schools across India.”

Every year, more than 35,000 children are born with clefts in India. In addition to facing challenges with eating, breathing, and speaking, many are stigmatized due to a lack of awareness about cleft conditions. Smile Train’s picture book series aims to address this gap by fostering empathy and inclusion from an early age, helping to reshape perceptions and build a culture of acceptance.