1
00:00:00,920 --> 00:00:05,559
Speaker 1: Lunch with Pippa Hudson on Kate Talk Join the conversation.

2
00:00:07,800 --> 00:00:10,080
Speaker 1: I know we've had a number of conversations over the

3
00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:13,480
Speaker 1: years about Operation Smile and the amazing work that is

4
00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:16,120
Speaker 1: done by medical volunteers who give up their time and

5
00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:18,959
Speaker 1: effort to change the lives of children who were born

6
00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:22,560
Speaker 1: with cleft lip and palette conditions. But I'm always happy

7
00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:25,880
Speaker 1: to return to the story because the impact of what

8
00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,480
Speaker 1: they do is so substantial, and we're delighted to help

9
00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:32,960
Speaker 1: them celebrate a big milestone this year, because Operations Smile

10
00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:37,040
Speaker 1: South Africa is turning twenty now. Over the past two decades,

11
00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:40,320
Speaker 1: they have helped transform literally thousands of lives. They have

12
00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:44,800
Speaker 1: delivered more than six thousand surgeries, working alongside local healthcare

13
00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:48,640
Speaker 1: systems and volunteer medical professionals all across the country and

14
00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:52,040
Speaker 1: in fact beyond South Africa's borders as well. And this

15
00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:56,360
Speaker 1: is not just about fixing a physical abnormality. It's about

16
00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:00,440
Speaker 1: restoring dignity. It's about giving access to proper nutrition. It's

17
00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:06,320
Speaker 1: about enabling easier speech, enabling smiles and also enabling social confidence.

18
00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:09,279
Speaker 1: This is much much more than stitching closed a cleft.

19
00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:13,040
Speaker 1: What it means to a child's life is literally life changing.

20
00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:15,080
Speaker 1: So it's a pleasure to welcome back to the show

21
00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,160
Speaker 1: Sarah Scarth, who is the executive director of Operation Smile

22
00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:20,720
Speaker 1: South Africa, to reflect a little bit on the journey

23
00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:23,840
Speaker 1: so far, the challenges that still remain, and to talk

24
00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:26,600
Speaker 1: about how South Africa is helping to expand this kind

25
00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:30,640
Speaker 1: of care further into the African continent. Sarah, Happy twentieth

26
00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,520
Speaker 1: birthday to you and everybody at Operation Smile. It's wonderful

27
00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:34,400
Speaker 1: to have you with us today.

28
00:01:34,959 --> 00:01:37,560
Speaker 2: A good afternoon, Pa, Thank you so much. We are

29
00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:43,000
Speaker 2: really absolutely delighted to be marking the smilestone and thank

30
00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:44,880
Speaker 2: you for the opportunity to talk about it.

31
00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:48,400
Speaker 1: It's a huge pleasure. Twenty years and six thousand surgeries.

32
00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:51,280
Speaker 1: They might sound like impressive numbers, but really those are

33
00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:55,480
Speaker 1: just headlines that don't really properly communicate the actual impact

34
00:01:55,880 --> 00:01:58,400
Speaker 1: that you've had on the lives of children and their families.

35
00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:00,160
Speaker 1: Do you want to start there and tell us a

36
00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:01,840
Speaker 1: little bit about what your most part of as you

37
00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:04,200
Speaker 1: look back on that impact after twenty years.

38
00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:08,200
Speaker 2: Well, Papa, I just I feel completely humbled, If I'm

39
00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:12,520
Speaker 2: totally honest in reflecting on these numbers, as you say,

40
00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:17,400
Speaker 2: thousands of lives transform, but those are all families, people

41
00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:21,560
Speaker 2: who when their children were born were hopeless and hope

42
00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:25,240
Speaker 2: has been restored that a child can now live a

43
00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:28,480
Speaker 2: life to their fullest because they don't look different and

44
00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:33,280
Speaker 2: sound different from their peers. So that is just phenomenal.

45
00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,359
Speaker 2: But you know you, and you're welcome you an introduction.

46
00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:42,519
Speaker 2: You commented about strengthenings and how do we help train

47
00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:46,960
Speaker 2: and ensure that, you know, beyond volunteers going in and helping,

48
00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:52,280
Speaker 2: how are we improving systems And that's a huge mouth

49
00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:55,160
Speaker 2: you know. Aspect of this mouthstone that we're so proud

50
00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:58,560
Speaker 2: of is that the you know, the dozens and dozens

51
00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:05,440
Speaker 2: of individual men called professionals who are now specialized and

52
00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:08,440
Speaker 2: have the training so that they can continue these surgeries

53
00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:11,680
Speaker 2: or carry out speech therapy, or you know, be a

54
00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:15,000
Speaker 2: better nurse because of the of what we've done, and

55
00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:17,160
Speaker 2: we're so proud of that.

56
00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:20,200
Speaker 1: That's hugely significant. So if I'm understanding you correctly, it's

57
00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:23,200
Speaker 1: not just about a team going in saying all right,

58
00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,400
Speaker 1: we're in ex rural area today, who needs access to

59
00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:28,920
Speaker 1: this care. We'll do the surgeries while we here and

60
00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:31,480
Speaker 1: then we leave and sorry for your community. You'll have

61
00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:33,480
Speaker 1: to wait until we come back again. If I'm understanding

62
00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:36,040
Speaker 1: you correctly, Sarah, you're leaving behind a footprint that says

63
00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:38,960
Speaker 1: we've empowered local health care providers to be able to

64
00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:40,040
Speaker 1: help while we're not.

65
00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:44,600
Speaker 2: Here quite right to From the very early days of

66
00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:48,760
Speaker 2: Operation Smile, this was a core part of what we did.

67
00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:52,880
Speaker 2: Our teams did so those volunteers, dozens of them, many

68
00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,120
Speaker 2: of them from Cape Town, who put their hands up

69
00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:57,720
Speaker 2: and said count on me. I'll give up my leave,

70
00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:01,440
Speaker 2: I'll be away from our families for very long periods

71
00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:07,360
Speaker 2: of time in as you said, very rural, underserved, underresourced areas.

72
00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,160
Speaker 2: But they didn't just go to do the surgeries. They

73
00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:15,880
Speaker 2: stood alongside local doctors and nurses who were desperate to learn.

74
00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:20,440
Speaker 2: And those individuals today are leaving their programs in countries

75
00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:27,840
Speaker 2: Black or Wanda, Ghana, Mozambique, Malawi, Madagascar, or countries West

76
00:04:27,960 --> 00:04:31,960
Speaker 2: and South Africa. Led opened those doors and said we

77
00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:33,919
Speaker 2: want to do the surgeries, but we also want to

78
00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:34,800
Speaker 2: make you stronger.

79
00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:39,640
Speaker 1: This talk about why it's important to expand that care, Sarah.

80
00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,040
Speaker 1: I mean when we talk about cleft palettes and cleft lips.

81
00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:44,400
Speaker 1: It might well be that there are people living listening

82
00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:46,480
Speaker 1: to this interview who've never met somebody who was born

83
00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:49,760
Speaker 1: with one of those conditions and don't understand what the

84
00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:52,080
Speaker 1: significance is. Do you want to tell us a little

85
00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:54,880
Speaker 1: bit more firstly about how common they are and secondly

86
00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:57,200
Speaker 1: about the impact. And as I said of the introduction,

87
00:04:57,440 --> 00:04:59,640
Speaker 1: it's about much more than the physical looks, although the

88
00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:02,760
Speaker 1: physical looks is definitely a big part of it. The

89
00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:05,360
Speaker 1: knock on impact on a child's life is so significant.

90
00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:07,320
Speaker 1: Can you give us a bit of an overview.

91
00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:11,599
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know so. It's it's one of the most

92
00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:17,679
Speaker 2: common birth defects in the world and it can happen

93
00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:23,920
Speaker 2: to anybody, but it's most prevalent in lower income areas

94
00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:29,440
Speaker 2: and areas where there's a higher genetic prevalence of clefts.

95
00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:34,240
Speaker 2: So you know, we are We have often seen patients

96
00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:36,400
Speaker 2: who help have been born with a cleft and who

97
00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:40,080
Speaker 2: are bringing their children because they have been born with

98
00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:44,160
Speaker 2: the same condition. The reality is is that it can

99
00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:48,560
Speaker 2: be completely repaired, but it requires a specialist team to

100
00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:53,400
Speaker 2: do that. And so whilst Africa has not got the

101
00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:58,679
Speaker 2: highest prevalence of cleft conditions, the reality is our numbers

102
00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:01,320
Speaker 2: are so high because as we have such a paucity

103
00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:05,840
Speaker 2: of specialists available to do to carry out these surgeries.

104
00:06:07,000 --> 00:06:11,480
Speaker 2: And that's where Operations SMILE has has focused is how

105
00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:15,960
Speaker 2: can we ensure that there are specialist teams to carry

106
00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:20,520
Speaker 2: out these surgeries because with ours, that child will live

107
00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:27,120
Speaker 2: a life of stigma, of isolation, bullying, and and and

108
00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:30,919
Speaker 2: just all the horrors of of of what it means

109
00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:34,120
Speaker 2: to live if you don't look and sound like the

110
00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:38,760
Speaker 2: person next year, and and and there's you know where

111
00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:44,480
Speaker 2: the operation style is in thirty eight countries delivering these services,

112
00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:48,440
Speaker 2: and we see the same we hear the same stories

113
00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:54,120
Speaker 2: wherever we go, and unfortunately, we work hard to raise

114
00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:58,599
Speaker 2: awareness about the condition, make people aware that access to

115
00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:02,400
Speaker 2: care is available, that it's treatable, they shouldn't be scared

116
00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:05,920
Speaker 2: of it, and that and that they that they can

117
00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:09,600
Speaker 2: live a life like a child not born with this condition.

118
00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:14,240
Speaker 2: But the reason why we as an organization we may

119
00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:19,160
Speaker 2: have focused on clefts, but by training specialists and training

120
00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:23,880
Speaker 2: the whole surgical team that is involved in providing those surgeries,

121
00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:28,600
Speaker 2: that the impact is massive because those individuals will not

122
00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:30,760
Speaker 2: only be able to help the child with a cleft,

123
00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:34,400
Speaker 2: but will be able to help children and adults with

124
00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:39,520
Speaker 2: many different other conditions because a cleft specialist is a

125
00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:43,560
Speaker 2: specialist able to do multiple different surgeries. So that's why

126
00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:47,520
Speaker 2: we're so committed to strength, to investing in education and

127
00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:51,520
Speaker 2: training and ensuring that yes, our volunteer is coming to help,

128
00:07:51,760 --> 00:07:53,920
Speaker 2: but they do we do more than just fly in

129
00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:57,280
Speaker 2: and fly out and be kind of the do gooders.

130
00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,120
Speaker 1: For anybody coming into this conversation way. Our guest is

131
00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:05,720
Speaker 1: Sarah Scarth's executive director of Operations Smile South Africa, celebrating

132
00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:09,120
Speaker 1: its twentieth year of operations this year and celebrating the

133
00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:12,960
Speaker 1: milestone of more than six thousand life changing surgeries already

134
00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:16,760
Speaker 1: conducted a on a comission to expand access to that

135
00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:20,040
Speaker 1: kind of intervention. Sarah, let's talk a little bit about

136
00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:23,160
Speaker 1: who is involved here. You've mentioned several times the fact

137
00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,559
Speaker 1: that it's volunteers, that it's specialist surgeons who are giving

138
00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:29,080
Speaker 1: up their personal time and their time away from their

139
00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:33,079
Speaker 1: usual work to come and volunteer their efforts and time

140
00:08:33,559 --> 00:08:36,880
Speaker 1: as part of Operation Smile. Are they all plastic surgeons?

141
00:08:36,920 --> 00:08:38,040
Speaker 1: Do you want to tell us a little bit more

142
00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:40,600
Speaker 1: about the nature of the people who are volunteering because

143
00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:42,800
Speaker 1: I know the answer is it's a much wider network

144
00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:45,200
Speaker 1: than just the surgeons, as important as they are.

145
00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:50,320
Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, surgeons are definitely key that they can do

146
00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:55,480
Speaker 2: nothing with a team around them, and so we need

147
00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:59,360
Speaker 2: we have to bring clift surgeons. They can be on

148
00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:03,520
Speaker 2: productminently plastic surgeons, but we do also have some maxillo

149
00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:08,160
Speaker 2: facial surgeons who have specialized in this. And then obviously

150
00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:14,080
Speaker 2: the anesthesiologist and because we're working with children, pediatric anesthesiologists

151
00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:18,160
Speaker 2: is critical nurses both in the theater and in the ward.

152
00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:23,559
Speaker 2: Pediatricians to care for the children when they are coming

153
00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:28,440
Speaker 2: up before surgery and after surgery. Speech therapists. Speech is

154
00:09:28,480 --> 00:09:32,800
Speaker 2: absolutely critical component for any child born with a safe

155
00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:37,080
Speaker 2: condition and has that the therapy needs to continue well

156
00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:41,040
Speaker 2: after the surgery has happened. Dental as well, often the teeth.

157
00:09:41,679 --> 00:09:44,920
Speaker 2: There's a lot of dental care that's needed as well.

158
00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:49,880
Speaker 2: And in our psychosocial support, how do we come alongside families,

159
00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:53,920
Speaker 2: mothers in particular and help support them with the trauma

160
00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:57,079
Speaker 2: and the difficulties that they've been through in having a

161
00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:00,000
Speaker 2: child is left and then how do they we help

162
00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:04,160
Speaker 2: them support them as they go through a long journey

163
00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:08,160
Speaker 2: because a child was accept or not just usually need

164
00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:12,040
Speaker 2: one surgery, but it's multiple surgeries as the as they

165
00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:16,760
Speaker 2: grow and their mass develops. So it's a big team.

166
00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:22,679
Speaker 2: It also includes non medical roles such as medical records

167
00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:25,959
Speaker 2: pitch we call it patient imaging, and then of course

168
00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:28,920
Speaker 2: they're all important biomedical engineer making sure that all the

169
00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:32,640
Speaker 2: equipments working because when we go into do a surgical program,

170
00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:36,840
Speaker 2: we take everythingle we if we always, if we've established

171
00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:41,240
Speaker 2: that the equipment at the hospital is not sufficient, we

172
00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:44,640
Speaker 2: will bring our own all the consumable of everything that's

173
00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:46,880
Speaker 2: needed so that we're not having an impact on that

174
00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:47,840
Speaker 2: local hospital.

175
00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:51,240
Speaker 1: Okay, well you've answered Louisa's question because she was just

176
00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:54,280
Speaker 1: asking about whether there's a role for non medical people

177
00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:57,760
Speaker 1: to get involved. So the answer Louisa is absolutely yes. Sarah,

178
00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:00,360
Speaker 1: if somebody listening to this wants to volunteer of their

179
00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:03,720
Speaker 1: time or be of support in any way, do you

180
00:11:03,800 --> 00:11:06,920
Speaker 1: welcome that sort of offer from members of the public

181
00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:09,040
Speaker 1: or do you have to be quite specific about who

182
00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:10,720
Speaker 1: you select to go on these missions?

183
00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:14,720
Speaker 2: You know we are we have to be specific because

184
00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:18,439
Speaker 2: the team is predominantly medical. But i'd really encourage anybody

185
00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:23,240
Speaker 2: who's interested to visit our website, which is operationsmile dot

186
00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:27,840
Speaker 2: org dot SEDE, because whether you're in the operating theater

187
00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:31,600
Speaker 2: or whether you are outside, you have a role to

188
00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:37,120
Speaker 2: play piper. These six thousand surgeries and the counters other

189
00:11:37,960 --> 00:11:42,560
Speaker 2: patients who benefit from speech, dental interventions, oral health, community

190
00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:46,640
Speaker 2: DOTACH programs that we've done. It all needs to be

191
00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:50,480
Speaker 2: funded and so it's a community of supporters. So whether

192
00:11:50,520 --> 00:11:55,800
Speaker 2: it's school children collecting bottletops, or it's runners you're taking

193
00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:59,480
Speaker 2: part in two Oceans or some lump cap timarathon or

194
00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:03,520
Speaker 2: tie the cycle to there are so many other ways

195
00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:07,560
Speaker 2: to get involved, and of course our twentieth is inextricably

196
00:12:07,640 --> 00:12:11,440
Speaker 2: linked to those individuals who've some of them put their

197
00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:14,560
Speaker 2: bodies on the line to raise awareness of our work

198
00:12:14,640 --> 00:12:17,920
Speaker 2: and to raise funds, and of course leading that charge

199
00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:22,160
Speaker 2: has been David Greer. Why many Caponians will know so

200
00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:26,360
Speaker 2: well as the first person to run do the Great

201
00:12:26,400 --> 00:12:30,280
Speaker 2: Wall of China run there and back? So yeah, and

202
00:12:31,000 --> 00:12:35,760
Speaker 2: it's just phenomenal. How you know that we would They

203
00:12:35,800 --> 00:12:38,760
Speaker 2: are also volunteers for people who put their hands up

204
00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:41,200
Speaker 2: and said I may not be a medical doctor or

205
00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:44,439
Speaker 2: a nurse or a dentist that I can help.

206
00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:47,960
Speaker 1: Sarah, I'm so glad you reminded me of David's involvement.

207
00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:49,520
Speaker 1: We've had him on the show a couple of times

208
00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:53,120
Speaker 1: talking about his various running exploits, and he's been such

209
00:12:53,280 --> 00:12:56,160
Speaker 1: an important crusader full Operational Smile over the years. So

210
00:12:56,520 --> 00:12:58,800
Speaker 1: appreciate that recognition. You know what, the one thing we

211
00:12:58,840 --> 00:13:02,080
Speaker 1: haven't spoken about is the fact on the medical professionals themselves.

212
00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:05,560
Speaker 1: I mean, you've spoken about the volunteerism, the fact that

213
00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:09,079
Speaker 1: they are giving up their personal time and their personal

214
00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:11,760
Speaker 1: leave to come and do this. But Sarah, clearly they

215
00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:14,240
Speaker 1: get something out of that because I know many of

216
00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:16,880
Speaker 1: them keep coming back for mission after mission after mission.

217
00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:18,200
Speaker 1: Do you want to speak to us a little bit

218
00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:20,280
Speaker 1: about what they tell you it means to them to

219
00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:22,280
Speaker 1: be part of these missions.

220
00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:27,080
Speaker 2: You know. But when I first joined Operation Smile five

221
00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:31,120
Speaker 2: years ago, I was like any new director. I was

222
00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:34,560
Speaker 2: going around thanking and getting to know people, and over

223
00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:36,880
Speaker 2: and over again, volunteers would say no, no, no, no,

224
00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:39,240
Speaker 2: no no, it's not about me. It's not about me.

225
00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:43,560
Speaker 2: And one of them, Clover and Lee and Johannesburger one

226
00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:47,560
Speaker 2: of our pediatric anethotis. She said, I have to tell

227
00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:50,320
Speaker 2: you a story of how I joined Operation Smile at

228
00:13:50,360 --> 00:13:53,400
Speaker 2: a time when I was going through a really difficult

229
00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:56,920
Speaker 2: period in my life, and this being part of Operation

230
00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:01,920
Speaker 2: Smile really helped heal me. And so, yes, we often

231
00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:04,440
Speaker 2: look at what we are doing for the patients, but

232
00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:07,360
Speaker 2: so many of our volunteers, in fact all of them,

233
00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:09,920
Speaker 2: would say what the patients do for them, what they

234
00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:14,160
Speaker 2: learn from the patients about resilience and determination. And if

235
00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:17,320
Speaker 2: you are somebody living in a rural village in Malawi

236
00:14:17,440 --> 00:14:22,040
Speaker 2: or Mozambique with a child with the left walking two

237
00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:26,040
Speaker 2: three days, with the possibility of reaching here, most of

238
00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:30,680
Speaker 2: us have no comprehension of what that means. But all

239
00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:33,480
Speaker 2: of us who our parents will know that we will

240
00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:36,440
Speaker 2: go to the ends of the earth to help our children.

241
00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:40,800
Speaker 2: And so being faced with that, seeing that, seeing that determination,

242
00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:47,240
Speaker 2: seeing the trust that these parents place in us, I

243
00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:51,120
Speaker 2: think that our volunteers, that's one of the main reasons

244
00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:55,240
Speaker 2: why they keep doing this work. Why because it fuels them.

245
00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:59,080
Speaker 2: And you know, one of the most rewarding moments in

246
00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:02,320
Speaker 2: my career with our Creation Smile was leaving a program

247
00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:06,160
Speaker 2: in the Eastern Cape and the local anesthesiologist stopped me

248
00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:09,200
Speaker 2: and said, this has just been the most remarkable experience

249
00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:13,440
Speaker 2: to walk alongside your colleagues and what I've learned from them,

250
00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:17,680
Speaker 2: not just in becoming a better anesthetist, but also in

251
00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:21,960
Speaker 2: the care for the patients, and how I will now

252
00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:25,520
Speaker 2: take that and deliver that to every patient that I

253
00:15:25,720 --> 00:15:29,680
Speaker 2: interact with. So you know, we, you know, are very

254
00:15:29,760 --> 00:15:34,680
Speaker 2: patient centered and we treat every patient as if they

255
00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:35,520
Speaker 2: were our own.

256
00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:39,480
Speaker 1: I mean, I just you know, the easiest comment is

257
00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:42,200
Speaker 1: just the ultimate mic drop, isn't it. Sarah. You're impacted

258
00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:45,080
Speaker 1: the patients, You're also impacting the other medical professionals who

259
00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:47,480
Speaker 1: see your teams at work and learn from them, and

260
00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:50,200
Speaker 1: that is an absolute win when one additional element to

261
00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:52,840
Speaker 1: add to the mix aver all emailing me to say,

262
00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:56,600
Speaker 1: please also recognize the hugely positive impact these surgeries have

263
00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:01,440
Speaker 1: on a baby's ability to breastfeed. Thanksful for pointing that out.

264
00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:04,880
Speaker 1: Nutritional access part of the conversation, as well as the

265
00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:08,360
Speaker 1: ability to speak and the issue of stigma that's been raised.

266
00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:13,160
Speaker 1: So appreciate that, Sarah. I mean, in closing, firstly, congratulations

267
00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:16,240
Speaker 1: to you and everybody involved in this amazing work on

268
00:16:16,400 --> 00:16:20,000
Speaker 1: twenty years of giving back to community and beyond South

269
00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:23,400
Speaker 1: Africa's borders making such an impact. Final question is really

270
00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:28,120
Speaker 1: the vision going forward? Is it about expanding the geographical reach?

271
00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:30,480
Speaker 1: Is it about being able to reach more communities within

272
00:16:30,600 --> 00:16:33,120
Speaker 1: South Africa? What is the hope for the next twenty years.

273
00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:37,800
Speaker 2: Well, for we are so thrilled of what we've been

274
00:16:37,840 --> 00:16:40,360
Speaker 2: able to achieve, but the reality of the work is

275
00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:43,200
Speaker 2: not done. And here in South Africa the need is

276
00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:48,280
Speaker 2: greater than ever as our health department face cut backs

277
00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:52,160
Speaker 2: austerity measures. You know, we are being called upon more

278
00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:55,680
Speaker 2: and more more provincial departments of health reaching out saying

279
00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:58,880
Speaker 2: will you help us? And so here to chi's being cut.

280
00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,720
Speaker 2: Cleftop often not seen as a as a as a

281
00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:05,760
Speaker 2: life threatening and so they are placed on awaiting list.

282
00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:10,320
Speaker 2: But it's not just that it's impacting our ability to

283
00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:14,400
Speaker 2: train specialists when yet time is cut and so again,

284
00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:19,000
Speaker 2: our commitment to ensuring that every surgical program is a

285
00:17:19,119 --> 00:17:24,600
Speaker 2: training and education opportunity will help to also support the

286
00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:28,880
Speaker 2: training of specialists who will you know, into our system

287
00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:32,320
Speaker 2: and beyond our borders, not just our volunteers to go

288
00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:35,840
Speaker 2: out as educators into the countries where we work when

289
00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:40,159
Speaker 2: need in Africa is absolutely massive and there are just

290
00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:44,560
Speaker 2: thousands and thousands of people living with this condition, and

291
00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,840
Speaker 2: so yeah, the need is enormous. Operations Now South Africa.

292
00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:53,119
Speaker 2: It's very focused today on the work we're doing in

293
00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:56,840
Speaker 2: South Africa and then supporting our colleagues across nine other

294
00:17:56,920 --> 00:18:02,800
Speaker 2: countries in the region. And we know our work depends

295
00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:07,520
Speaker 2: on the support of volunteers on our journals and in individuals,

296
00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:09,840
Speaker 2: people who just put their hand up and take out

297
00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:10,199
Speaker 2: on me.

298
00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:15,640
Speaker 1: Sarah Scot thank you in congratulations on the twenty year milestone,

299
00:18:15,680 --> 00:18:18,679
Speaker 1: but most importantly thank you to you and everybody involved

300
00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:22,040
Speaker 1: with Operation Smile South Africa for that magnificent achievement of

301
00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:26,000
Speaker 1: more than six thousand surgeries and lives transformed in the process,

302
00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:29,760
Speaker 1: as well as the spillover effect of the medical training

303
00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:33,200
Speaker 1: and extension of skills, so wonderful. If anybody listening to

304
00:18:33,240 --> 00:18:37,159
Speaker 1: this would like to read up more or offer a contribution,

305
00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:40,520
Speaker 1: whether it is through your medical expertise or through a

306
00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:44,680
Speaker 1: financial contribution, please do check out the website Operationsmile dot

307
00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:45,720
Speaker 1: org dot SEDA