Everyone Has a Part to Play: Three Volunteers Who Are Changing Access to Care in Ghana

At Operation Smile, our volunteers remind us that every act of service matters — from our patient coordinators in the field to our surgeons in the operating room. Each volunteer plays a vital role and proves that, together as a team, there’s no limit to what we can achieve.

Clement, Patient Coordinator

Clement is a soft-spoken yet deeply driven volunteer whose compassion is clear the moment he speaks about his work. Since joining Operation Smile Ghana in 2015, he has served as a patient coordinator and now leads the organization’s patient awareness team, traveling to remote regions to find those in need and helping communities overcome the stigma surrounding cleft conditions.

For Clement, meeting someone living with an untreated cleft condition is heartbreaking. It might be a child kept out of school because of bullying or an adult who has spent a lifetime on the margins after being labeled an outcast. But these encounters fuel Clement’s determination, pushing him to work harder and go farther so he can reach even more people in need.

“My role is to make sure we find the patient irrespective of where they are and also explain to them what their needs are in terms of the service that we offer, counsel them, because some of them, they are so isolated, rejected, they don’t have the confidence that you and I have to come to public places.”

Patient advocates like Clement play a major role in raising awareness about cleft conditions. For him, being a patient coordinator is about more than volunteering; it’s about connecting people with life-changing care, support and a future filled with opportunity.

“I know that we are creating [new] smiles, but I think that we are doing more than that — saving lives and touching lives,” he said. “If you know what happens behind the scenes before surgery, then you can appreciate that we are indeed saving lives.”

Georgina, Nutritionist

When you listen to Operation Smile Ghana volunteer nutritionist Georgina, her passion for helping others is palpable. Her greatest joy comes from seeing the relief and happiness on the faces of the families she supports.

Around the world, malnutrition affects 3.1 million children. It poses an even greater risk for children born with cleft conditions, who often struggle with feeding. That’s why nutritional support is an essential part of the comprehensive care Operation Smile provides and why volunteers like Georgina, who lead with both skill and heart, are so impactful.

Because of volunteers like Georgina, families who once searched for care now have hope. She and her colleagues work to reassure worried families and provide nutritional guidance and support children who need to grow stronger and prepare for surgery.

In Georgina’s role, she looks at the patient’s whole nutrition journey. Georgina said, “Without proper nutrition, children cannot go through surgery. We have something we call the nutrition care process. It’s a process we follow to make sure the kids are ready for surgery. The first part is nutrition assessment. That is where I am because I’m the junior dietitian. With the nutrition assessment, anthropometric measurements are taken, such as weight and height. All of these measurements help us know whether the child is ready for surgery.”

The reward for Georgina comes when she sees a child getting stronger and putting on weight, knowing the child is one step closer to a healthier future. Helping others is what keeps her going through emotionally challenging work.

“What keeps me motivated is knowing that I’m helping humanity,” she said. “At the end of the day, we are all here for one purpose: to help each other in any way we can. It could be money, it could be skills, it could be knowledge, it could be anything you have. Most of these people, they’re rejected; they’re stigmatized. You helping them, me helping them, makes me feel fulfilled and happy.”

Elliot, Cleft Surgeon

Elliot first discovered Operation Smile during his residency training as a general surgeon. At the time, Operation Smile was expanding its efforts in Ghana and working closely with local health services. Elliot’s interest in specializing in plastic surgery increased, and since taking part in his first Operation Smile surgical program in 2014, Elliot has been involved with training other Ghanaian general surgeons in plastic surgery, his part in helping to meet the shortfall of trained specialists in the country. 

When asked what motivates him to continue to volunteer for Operation Smile Elliot shared,

“It’s the desire to see the result of what you’ve done. Not all people are born with the same opportunities. Often people don’t even know that a cleft can be treated. So to be able to sacrifice a bit of time and go to remote areas and get the opportunity to see people smile. People who came probably didn’t have any hope at all. To be able to give your time to those people and know you’ve made a whole change in somebody’s life.”

There’s no doubt about the incredible difference volunteers like Clement, Georgina and Elliot make. Each of them playing an essential role in bringing access to care closer to home and building brighter, healthier futures to the lives of patients, both in Ghana and beyond.