Opération Sourire
Through our partnership with Médecins du Monde, we help fund reconstructive and plastic surgery for women and children in Asia and Africa.
Bring back a smile
The Fondation L’Oréal helps to further medical charity Médecins du Monde’s efforts to enable people in Asia and Africa suffering illness-related physical defects, especially women and children, to gain access to reconstructive and plastic surgery. Many of these patients may be excluded from mainstream health systems and lack options to restore their appearance.
The charity’s almost 90 volunteers train local teams to deliver life-changing operations, helping people to take part in social and physical activities again, and above all – to smile.
In 2021, with our support, Médecins du Monde reached about 200 patients. Overall, the initiative has supported 17,700 people, particularly children, in nearly 33 years.
When a child has a cleft lip repair and they are brought to the recovery room, it's like a second birth. The mother or anyone who is present sees their child with a moved expression. We feel as though their life will maybe change a little, thanks to our help, even though we are just doing our job.
