Smiles That Shine: Turning Classrooms into Spaces of Empathy and Acceptance

On National Cleft Day , Smile Train India , the country’s largest cleft-focused NGO, partnered with the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to take cleft awareness directly into classrooms, stressing the need for early treatment, empathy and social inclusion .

As part of the initiative, Smile Train India rolled out its school engagement programme “The ABCs of Change” (Awareness, Behaviour and Confidence) across 10 NDMC schools in New Delhi. The programme used storytelling, interactive learning and creative activities to help primary school students understand facial differences and break stereotypes at a young age.

A key element of the outreach was “Smiles that Shine” , Smile Train India’s unique children’s picture book series designed to promote kindness, self-confidence and acceptance around differences such as cleft lip and palate . Through relatable characters and imaginative narratives, the books help normalise facial differences and reduce stigma by encouraging open conversations among children.

The programme culminated in a three-day creative theatre workshop led by noted theatre practitioner Rahul Khanna . Students from NDMC schools developed and performed short plays inspired by the “Smiles that Shine” stories, using theatre as a medium to reinforce messages of empathy, dignity and inclusion within school communities.

Cleft lip and palate is a treatable birth condition that affects approximately one in every 700 children . In India alone, over 35,000 babies are born with cleft conditions each year , but many go untreated due to lack of awareness, misinformation and social stigma . Delayed treatment can affect a child’s health, speech development, confidence and social integration.

By embedding cleft awareness into school education, Smile Train India and NDMC aim to create a more inclusive environment and encourage families to seek timely medical intervention . Officials highlighted that schools are not just centres of academic learning but spaces where values like empathy and inclusion are shaped and carried into homes and communities.

Smile Train India emphasised that cleft care goes beyond surgery and focuses on building confidence, dignity and a sense of belonging for every child. Families seeking information or support related to cleft treatment can contact Smile Train’s toll-free helpline at 1800 103 8301 .