By Nahirobi Peguero | Dominican lawyer for the UN, mission volunteer, and member of FNE International

Mending Faces Cleft and Lip Palate Mission to the Dominican Republic has been a life-changing experience for all individuals involved in the process. Children who had only dreamed of a lip/cleft palate surgery, because they lack documentation or their parents do not have the financial resources, experienced it come true during the week of May 16th, 2022. They traveled from all parts of the country, regions: East, South, and North. One of the unforgettable stories is that of a mother who said her son could finally go to school because he would no longer be at risk of facing bullying due to his medical condition. Thus, not only did his physical appearance change, but in that operating room, his barriers to accessing education were broken.

For volunteers and hospital staff, the mission was a great learning experience. The spirit and energy of the Mending Faces team are contagious. It not only inspired all of us to contribute to the mission, but it motivated us to go back to our jobs with a different perspective, that of using all our skills and knowledge for the populations we serve, with the goal of making each person´s life better.