This was all made possible thanks to the support of Operation Smile’s partners and donors, including MySchool MyPlanet MyVillage, Glencore, Tata Africa Holdings, Cipla Foundation, i’langa Mall, Home Cappuccinos, Woolworths, Valencia Wholesalers, The Square Shopping Centre, SPAR Lowveld, Ndalo Lodge, and RSA Nelspruit.
Speaking the morning after her five-month-old son Mpelo received lip surgery, Mbombela mother Promise Thembelihle Mathebula shared her joy and relief.
“I was born with a cleft lip and palate and experienced severe bullying and isolation growing up. I received surgery through Operation Smile in 2016 and when my son was born with the same condition, I knew they were the best people to help us,” said Promise, who was one of three adult patients to receive a dental obturator.
Simultaneous to the surgical programme, the Rob Ferreira Hospital oral-health team gave up their weekend to provide dental care for any child up to age 12 requiring treatment. In total 81 patients were treated, with all receiving instruction on good oral hygiene. Spearheaded by the hospital’s head of dental services, Dr Marius van der Walt, who is a long-standing Operation Smile volunteer and educator, the dental programme’s aim was to provide oral health care outside of school hours in a fun and welcoming environment.
Beyond these essential surgical and dental interventions, Operation Smile prioritises the transfer of knowledge and skills to local health professionals. This elevates the standard of medical competence in cleft care and surgery.
“We provide training opportunities on each surgical programme and host education workshops to facilitate the transfer of skills and knowledge. We also invest in training community health-care workers in cleft identification and pathways to care and provide basic life-support training and paediatric advanced life-support training for hospital staff and volunteers,” says Sarah Scarth, executive director of Operation Smile South Africa.
Mpumalanga health MEC Sasekani Manzini said the Mpumalanga health department welcomes Operation Smile at Rob Ferreira Hospital.
“Above all we are grateful for the learning opportunity and the skill transfer that is always happening when Operation Smile visits our province,” she said.
Operation Smile has a global network of more than 5 000 active volunteers, 126 of whom are from South Africa.
