More than 5,500 babies are born with cleft conditions in Ethiopia each year and in rural communities, many are not identified at birth and struggle to feed, leading to malnutrition, and illness. Families often have little access to specialist advice or treatment and may face stigma and isolation. 90% of untreated children born with cleft conditions will die before their 19th birthday and without early support, many babies become too weak to access the surgery that could transform their lives.

Project Harar trains midwives to identify cleft conditions at birth and provide specialist feeding support. Mothers receive guidance on breastfeeding and other feeding techniques, while babies who need further support receive specialist bottles and nutritional supplements. Midwives monitor growth, provide ongoing support and refer babies to our cleft programme for life-changing surgery when they are strong enough. Training is also shared with local Health Extension Workers to extend impact.