Eight-year-old Munmun lives in a small village near Lucknow. Like all girls her age, she loves going to school, playing with her friends, and living a carefree life. However, there was something that was stopping her from doing all this, so much so that until some time ago, she went about life wearing a mask. Now, you might be wondering as to what little Munmun was hiding behind that mask. It was her cleft lip.
Her cleft lip didn’t give her the courage and confidence to face the world, till a campaign named “Ek Nayi Muskaan” happened. This campaign was launched by The Himalaya Drug Company as part of its social impact initiative, Muskaan. Through Muskaan, Himalaya Lip Care has been raising awareness about cleft lip and palate, and supporting free cleft treatment for underprivileged children. They are doing this in partnership with international cleft charity, Smile Train. As part of this campaign, Munmun underwent a 45-minute surgery and her life was transformed. The mask was gone, and all that was there was a beautiful smile. Watch her heartwarming story in this video:
Thanks to “Ek Nayi Muskaan”, today Munmun leads a life like any other child. On the intent behind launching this campaign, Rajesh Krishnamurthy, Business Director, Consumer Products Division, The Himalaya Drug Company, said, “A smile is an expression of happiness, and with “Ek Nayi Muskaan”, we intend to create more smiles by helping children achieve their dreams and live a fulfilling life. This initiative reflects our overall brand thought - ‘Khush Raho Khushaal Raho’ that captures our vision of Wellness in Every Home, Happiness in Every Heart.”
According to Mamta Carroll, Vice President and Regional Director, Asia, Smile Train, more than 35,000 babies are born with a cleft every year. Out of this, 6,000 are in Uttar Pradesh alone. Such children find it difficult to eat, breathe, and speak, and are usually isolated, given the various myths associated with cleft in our country. However, thanks to organisations such as The Himalaya Drug Company that are making free surgeries possible, kids born with clefts are now able to live a normal life.
Through Muskaan, more than 500 children have received free cleft surgeries till date. Himalaya Lip Care is committed to furthering this cause and spreading awareness, so more children receive early cleft care treatment. Himalaya contributes towards Muskaan with the sale of every Himalaya Lip Care product.
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