PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Did you know? Every three minutes, a child is born with a cleft lip or palate¹. While the medical community often focuses on the physical necessities of eating and breathing, the challenges extend far beyond the facial structure. For many of these children, the inability to speak clearly becomes a profound psychological hurdle.

Simple acts, such as introducing oneself, can lead to years of frustration, isolation, and a lost sense of identity. However, transformation is made possible through the medical missions and outreach centres of Smile Asia, where volunteer doctors and nurses provide free surgeries that change lives. Smile Asia is a global alliance of charities working together to treat facial deformities like cleft lip and cleft palate. They aim to raise standards of medical care by creating opportunities of collaborative learning and exchange of best practices¹. 

While Pigeon Singapore supports these activities through monetary donations, sponsoring specialised nursing bottles for cleft lip and palate babies, and sending our staff to volunteer on medical mission alongside medical teams, a unique and deeply meaningful initiative of this partnership is the Rebirth Certification.

Source: Rebirth Certificate, Smile Asia

ACTIONS

The Rebirth Certificate serves as a tangible record of a child’s journey, integrated directly into the patient care process by Smile Asia’s volunteers and medical staff during the medical missions or at the outreach centre where cleft lip surgery would take place. It is presented to each child once they can confidently speak their own name after surgery. It marks the procedure as a pivotal moment of “rebirth,” where restoring a smile opens the path to reclaiming their voice².

RESULTS

The Rebirth Certificate has become the emotional cornerstone of surgeries, shifting the narrative from “fixing a problem” to “celebrating a person.” The certificate serves as a permanent reminder of the moment a child reclaimed their voice, symbolising a pivotal shift toward a life where they no longer have to hesitate to speak.

For parents, receiving the Rebirth Certificate is the moment the weight finally lifts. More than just a medical record, it is the beginning of a life where their little one can simply be themselves.

At the Smile Asia 2025 Gala Dinner, Hongou Masataka, Managing Director of Pigeon Singapore was presented with the Rebirth Certification ², a replica piece of what each child would receive when they confidently speak their own name as a token of our ongoing partnership with Smile Asia.

Rebirth Certification Presented to Pigeon Singapore

This further reaffirms our partnership with Smile Asia is deeply worthwhile, witnessing a child’s transition from a daily struggle for expression to a future. It is a reminder that when we nurture a child’s beginning, we are helping to shape a lifetime of potential.

¹ Smile Asia (n.d.). Approach – Smile Asia [Online]. Smileasia.org. Available at: https://smileasia.org/about/approach/. 

 ² Smile Asia (2025). REBIRTH CERTIFICATE [Online]. Smileasia.org. Available at: https://smileasia.org/events/gala2025/rebirthcertificate/.