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A child's future is your most beautiful project.
There is a moment when a simple gesture can change a life. A smile returning to a child's face, a mother regaining hope, a doctor offering time and heart.
In that moment, something powerful is born: a new future.
+600
Children operated on each year
+140
Active volunteer each year
+300
Volunteer doctors and nurses
10
Surgical missions annually
Our annual goals with Emergenza Sorrisi Italy
Who we are
Emergenza Sorrisi Switzerland is an independent, non-religious, and non-profit humanitarian organization, active since 2020 and based in Geneva.
Our mission is to provide free, highly specialized surgical care to children affected by facial malformations, burns, trauma, or severe disabling conditions, in countries where access to healthcare is a privilege for the few.
We are part of the international network of Emergenza Sorrisi, founded in Italy in 2007, and active in over 31 countries.
We share a single vision: to restore dignity, health, and hope through specialized surgery, local medical training, and strengthening hospital facilities.
The earth of the mission.
The face of a Child.
Every mission begins with a face.
A face marked by pain, isolation, and fear—but also hope.
That is where we start. From the deep desire to restore beauty, restore function, and rebuild lives.
Our work is medical, human, and emotional.
Every returned smile is the result of expert hands and generous hearts.
The founder: Paola
“Passion and heart guide every step of my commitment.”
Paola, founder and ambassador of Emergenza Sorrisi Switzerland, is the face and soul of our Swiss branch.
Since 2005, she has collaborated with Dr. Fabio Massimo Abenavoli, plastic surgeon and founder of Emergenza Sorrisi Italy. Together, they have worked in complex settings, including Iraq and the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
In 2020, Paola founded the Swiss office to expand the organization's impact and involve Swiss medical professionals.
In September 2025, she returned to the field, actively participating in the mission in Adwa (Ethiopia), also contributing as a Somatic Experiencing® and Body Trauma Releaser® practitioner to support children and families in their physical and emotional healing journey.
“Every mission is a return home—where heart, medicine, and humanity truly meet.”
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