Bela Risu Foundation

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Bela Risu Foundation

Medical Non-Governmental Organisation

04/06/2026

Behind these photos is a journey of courage, healing, and hope. And behind the surgical transformation is a child gaining confidence, a family finding relief, and a future opening up with new possibilities.

Every repaired cleft lip or palate means easier feeding, clearer speech, better health, and the freedom to experience childhood in its fullest.

This is why we do what we do.

30/05/2026

For 36 years Leonardo Mussunde carried more than just the weight of being different, he carried the pain of being noticed for all the wrong reasons.

Born in Kapunda, Angola, Leonardo grew up in a family of five, but he was the only one born with a cleft lip. As a child, and even as an adult, he learned to stay quiet, to keep to himself, and to avoid places where people might stare, his condition making him shy and withdrawn. To protect himself from the hurt, he found comfort in farming, a simple, peaceful life away from judgment.

What he didn’t know was that his story could still change.

One day, Leonardo heard that Bela Risu was holding an outreach in Lubango. It was the answer he had never expected. He came in with hope, and left with something even greater his confidence, his smile, and a new beginning.

The moment his family saw him after surgery was filled with joy. His mother. His wife. Their faces lit up with happiness.

“Everyone was excited when they saw me,” Leonardo said. “Especially my mother and my wife.”

After years of hiding, Leonardo can now walk freely among people without fear of being judged.

25/05/2026

We are marking Global Surgery Day with a reminder that surgery is more than precision in the operating room.

It is access, equity, and the belief that healing should never depend on where you were born or what you can afford.

It is teamwork across systems, and borders, working to ensure more people have a fair chance at a fuller life.

23/05/2026

Not all clefts are the same, and that’s an important fact to know.

A child may be born with;
• a cleft lip only
• a cleft palate only
• or both together

Understanding the difference helps spread awareness, and encourages the right treatment and support.

15/05/2026

Today, we celebrate Ernesto Hosael from Angola and his transformation. Moments like these remind us why access to cleft care matters and how life-changing it can truly be.

Behind every transformation is confidence restored, hope renewed, and a future opened to new possibilities.

We’re so proud to be part of his journey. 💙

10/05/2026

She’s strength.
She’s softness.
She’s the one who makes the hard days lighter.

She’s Mom 💕

Happy Mother’s Day!

❤️

05/05/2026

Ayaan Abdirashid, a brave 16 year old from Qardho, Somalia, is the third of six children, and the only one born with a cleft lip.

For much of her childhood, that difference kept her in the shadows. While other children went to school, Ayaan stayed behind, tending to her family’s goats, quietly observing a world she didn’t feel part of.

Then, her uncle heard about Bela Risu’s outreach program in Garowe and arranged for her to be seen. When Ayaan was told, the moment felt almost unreal, she remembers, but hope pushed her to go.

Her cleft lip was successfully repaired. And with continued follow-up care, including orthodontic support to restore both function and confidence in her smile, Ayaan began to see herself differently - a brighter smile, more expressive conversations, meeting someone’s eyes without looking away.

Today, Ayaan is stepping into the world with a renewed sense of self, one that reflects not just the care she received, but the courage she carried all along.

01/05/2026

Hirsi Warsame, from Galgaduud, Somalia, is starting fresh at 40.

His cleft lip repair is a powerful reminder that it’s never too late, and that awareness efforts are making their way through Somalia, one life at a time.

But it also calls us forward: to keep going, so that in the future, stories like his happen much sooner.

25/04/2026

At 13 years old, having both her cleft lip and palate repaired in Mogadishu, Somalia, Shukri Ismail stands as a reminder of what access to care can make possible.

There is so much that could be said about the years behind her, her courage and resilience, and her new journey ahead. But sometimes, the transformation speaks more than what words could try to tell.

And in Shukri’s case, the transformation says everything.

18/04/2026

Abdifitah Abdullahi Hersi was the only one in his family of ten born with a cleft lip and cleft palate. Growing up in Shirabu, Ethiopia, his world slowly became smaller because of how others saw him.

When his uncle first met him, he saw a child longing to belong. Hoping to give him a fresh start, he brought Abdifitah to Mogadishu, Somalia, and tried to enroll him in an Islamic school. But even there, he was turned away because his speech was different. Like many children born with a cleft palate, Abdifitah struggled with pronunciation. Sounds that come easily to others were difficult for him, making it harder to be understood.

With each rejection, Abdifitah withdrew further from the world outside, where stigma and discrimination had taken the place of childhood joy.

But fortunately, his story didn’t end there. After receiving cleft lip and palate surgery, Abdifitah is now stepping into the world with confidence, courage, and a renewed sense of possibility.

Address

Ngong Road
Nairobi

Telephone

+254782872872

Website

http://www.belarisufoundation.org/

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