Sabou – In 2024, the organization Emergenza Sorrisi ETS joined forces, with the support of the Angelini Foundation, to carry out two humanitarian missions at the San Maximilian Kolbe Hospital in Sabou, a small community about 90 kilometers from the capital of Burkina Faso, Ouagadougou. These missions provided essential care to children suffering from severe facial malformations and burns, improving the quality of life for 55 young patients and bringing hope to their families. "Thanks to the tangible and heartfelt contribution of the Angelini Foundation, which truly represents an organization dedicated to passion, energy, and resources to support concrete actions and development initiatives, we were able to offer high-quality support in Burkina Faso. This country, one of the most forgotten, also suffers from the current political situation, which further penalizes the poorest of the poor," said Fabio Massimo Abenavoli, president of Emergenza Sorrisi ETS. The Emergenza Sorrisi missions took place in April and September with the goal of providing life-saving surgeries and training for local healthcare personnel. The team involved plastic and maxillofacial surgeons, anesthetists, nurses specializing in intensive care and pre/post-operative care, as well as physiotherapists. The second mission, in particular, represented both an evolution and a challenge compared to the first. The local team was expanded by ten additional members, increasing collaboration and the transfer of skills. Complex cases of burns and facial malformations were addressed, including cleft lips, cleft palates, and a case of noma. (9colonne)