Worldwide aid for children with a cleft lip and palate

Amann Girrbach believes in the vital importance of corporate, social and economic responsibility and is particularly pleased about the success of its first fundraising campaign, which was organised for the benefit of the Deutsche Cleft Kinderhilfe (German Aid for Children with a Cleft Lip and Palate) at the international Amann Girrbach dealer meeting at the end of October.

To facilitate this, the AG CHARITY GAMES were organised: points could be accumulated during various skill-based exercises and these were then converted into euros by Amann Girrbach. Thanks to the enthusiastic participation of all dealer representatives present as well as AG employees from almost 60 countries, a total of EUR 11,224.50 was donated.

The Deutsche Cleft Kinderhilfe e.V. is committed worldwide to the treatment of children with cleft lips, jaws and palates. The children come from the poorest backgrounds and are often socially isolated because of their disfigurement. Surgery to give the affected children the opportunity of leading a "normal" life costs the equivalent of EUR 250. In addition to the obvious disfigurement, children with a cleft in most cases suffer from serious health impairments: they cannot eat and drink properly, have hearing deficiencies and their language development is impaired.

With the aim of providing comprehensive cleft therapy and in addition to financing the operations, the organisation promotes the establishment of interdisciplinary teams of physicians and therapists consisting of surgeons, paediatricians, dentists, orthodontists, speech therapists, psychologists and social workers.