Raoul Follereau (1903-1977) was a French writer, poet, journalist and humanitarian, who established World Leprosy Day, celebrated on the last sunday of January. A tireless campaigner for the dignity of the marginalised, he travelled the globe over thirty times with his wife Madeleine, speaking up for the poor, sick and excluded. His poem 'A Smile' knows no cultural barriers. It has been translated into many languages, and continues to uplift the spirits of all who read it.