Conference and events industry charity Meetings Industry Meeting Needs (MIMN) is to fund two ‘missions’ by specialist medical charity Project Harar to provide facial operations and treatment for 20 children in Ethiopia next month.

Meeting Needs has worked with Project Harar before. Their aim is “to restore facial function and appearance to our young patients, giving them independence and dignity. We help rural children access medical care so they can eat, speak and smile like everyone else.”

More than one child in every 600 is born with or sustains a severe disability affecting their face. Project Harar arranges treatment of complex and varied conditions, including noma, animal attack wounds, burns, cleft lip and palate. Meetings Needs’ donation of £5,000 will cover the costs of the operations themselves, patient transport costs, lodging and food costs with guardians, clinical and hospital bed care and medicine and hospital registration fees as well as salary costs for staff.

MIMN’s Peter Rand MBE said: “Project Harar is a fantastic organisation that changes the lives of youngsters whose facial disfigurements would otherwise ruin their lives. We are delighted to be working with them again.”