From 5–7 June 2026, Operation Smile South Africa hosted a Speech Therapy and Psycho-social Support Camp at Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape.
Aimed at addressing the critical gap in comprehensive cleft care for children and families living in rural communities, the camp provided speech therapy and psycho social support to 24 patients.
At the same time, 10 healthcare professional trainees (speech therapists and psychologists/psychosocial practitioners) were able to build on their skills under the guidance of educators Erika Bostock (Speech Therapy, South Africa) and Nina Tandra (Psychosocial Support, Madagascar).
Building confidence, connection and emotional well-being.
Every patient attending the camp received an audiology screening. Those requiring additional support participated in intensive speech therapy sessions, focused on strengthening communication skills and improving long-term outcomes. Equally important, all patients and caregivers took part in psycho-social support sessions designed to build confidence, connection and emotional well-being.
Families shared experiences, learned practical coping strategies and found comfort in knowing they are not alone on their cleft journey. Transforming lives goes beyond surgery; it means supporting every child to find their voice and every family to find hope.
Positive feedback
Feedback from caregivers was overwhelmingly positive. “We are grateful to Operation Smile for bringing us together,” said one. “This platform makes us feel comfortable and heard. Thank you, Operation Smile.”
The camp reflects our ongoing commitment to comprehensive, sustainable cleft care. It goes beyond serving patients – to building the specialist capacity that ensures more children can access these services into the future.
A heartfelt thank you to our incredible volunteers, speech therapists, psycho-social practitioners, caregivers and supporters who made this impactful programme possible.
