Project Harar

Project Harar is a UK-registered charity that works in Ethiopia to provide access to treatment for children with cleft lip and palate and complex facial disfigurements. Founded in 2001 by London-based photographer and entrepreneur Jonathan Crown, the organisation operates primarily in the Oromia region, including East and West Hararghe, as well as Amhara, SNNPR, South West Ethiopia, and Sidama. Its Ethiopian programme team identifies patients in remote villages, refers them to partner hospitals, and supports families throughout the treatment journey. Since 2001, Project Harar has facilitated treatment for more than 12,500 patients. The charity also runs an Early Intervention Programme launched in 2025 to train midwives in identifying cleft conditions at birth, and provides nutritional support to help babies reach the optimal weight for surgery. Project Harar works with Ethiopian and international plastic, oral, and maxillofacial surgeons, and collaborates with organisations such as Festival Medical Services. The charity's mission is to break social stigma, as many children with facial disfigurements are ostracised and denied schooling. Its work is funded through donations and partnerships, and it maintains a presence in both the UK and Ethiopia.

Project Harar was founded by Jonathan Crown, a London-based photographer and entrepreneur, following a life-changing encounter in Ethiopia in 2000. While travelling in the ancient town of Harar, Crown witnessed a young boy with a severe facial disfigurement, later identified as 14-year-old Jemal suffering from noma, a type of facial gangrene. This experience inspired Crown to establish the charity in 2001. Initially, Project Harar focused on bringing patients with noma and other facial disfigurements to the UK for treatment, but it soon shifted to delivering care within Ethiopia. The organisation developed partnerships with Ethiopian and international plastic, oral, and maxillofacial surgeons to provide surgery locally. Over the years, Project Harar expanded its reach to remote regions of Ethiopia, including Oromia, Amhara, SNNPR, South West Ethiopia, and Sidama. In 2007, the charity was featured in BBC World Service programmes about noma and in a BBC Inside Out documentary. By 2025, Project Harar had facilitated treatment for more than 12,500 patients since its inception. In 2025, it launched the Early Intervention Programme to train midwives in identifying cleft conditions at birth, ensuring earlier access to nutritional support and surgery. The charity continues to work with partners such as Festival Medical Services, which funded treatment for 47 children in May 2025.

• 2025

  Launches Early Intervention Programme to train midwives in identifying cleft conditions at birth.

• 2025

  Festival Medical Services funding enables treatment for 47 children in Bahir Dar.

• 2007

  Featured in BBC World Service programmes and a BBC Inside Out documentary about noma and facial disfigurement treatment.

• 2001

  Project Harar is founded and begins providing access to treatment for children with cleft lip and palate.

• 2000

  Jonathan Crown encounters a boy with severe facial disfigurement in Harar, Ethiopia, inspiring the charity's creation.

A UK-based charity focused on providing surgical and holistic care for children with cleft lip and palate in remote Ethiopia, addressing both medical and social barriers.

1. 1Project Harar official websiteprojectharar.org
2. 2Our Story — Project Hararprojectharar.org
3. 3Our Impact — Project Hararprojectharar.org
4. 4FMS Film — Project Hararprojectharar.org
5. 5Wikidata entry for Project Hararwikidata.org
6. 6Ọrụ Harar — Wikipedia (Igbo)ig.wikipedia.org