Clicks & Smiles
Connecting with kids as a volunteer in South Africa

By Hunter Oliver-Allen

From the extreme poverty to the smiles on children’s faces to the beautiful landscapes, South Africa is a country that shakes your soul.

My journey began last May when I traveled to Umtata, homeland of the Xhosa people, located on the eastern Cape Province in a region of South Africa know as “the Transkei.” My uncle had invited me on a volunteer trip with Health Volunteer Overseas (HVO) and African Medical Mission. To help finance a small portion of my trip, I applied for and was awarded a grant from my university, Colorado College. In addition to learning how medicine is practiced in a developing country, I would be conducting statistical analysis for Bedford Orthopedic Hospital.

Although the city of Umtata itself is not very large, the area surrounding it is home to more than three million people. Umtata is a city of immense poverty: the streets are lined with trash, the roads filled with potholes, and cows, sheep, goats, and dogs roam free everywhere. The locals refer to them as “Transkei stop lights.”

For the duration of our stay in Umtata, the Bedford Orthopedic Hospital provided us with living quarters within the hospital compound. The hospital is a 180-bed facility serving the populace of Transkei and is the only orthopedic care center in the area. The busy outpatient clinic has some 20,000 visitors each year, and more than 2,800 patients are admitted for surgical procedures. Many of the patients are unemployed, and few have health insurance.

My schedule varied. Two to three days a week I learned what it is like to be an orthopedic surgeon helping with hospital admissions, treating patients, observing surgeries, and conducting rounds with the doctors. The rest of the week I worked at a clinic inside one of the townships. Some days I would help the missionaries build and paint walls to support local community projects. When time permitted, I helped gather records with the hospital administrative staff and completed my statistics paper for the hospital. On weekends I had the opportunity to explore South Africa.

One of my most memorable experiences was working in the township called Itipini.

This is a typical shanty town house in South Africa’s Itipini village, which is an area of Umtata used as the city’s garbage dump. Families live in homes constructed from discarded building materials. During the day, families sift through mountains of garbage looking for anything of value to sell in the local market to earn their only source of income. The author, pictured above with kids outside the Itipini medical clinic where he volunteered, provides basic medical care and supplemental food to the families living in Itipini.

Before becoming a village, Itipini was literally named “town dump” in the local Xhosa language. Itipini is a poor area outside the city, right next to a river suffering from extreme pollution. Located directly inside the dump is a preschool, a medical clinic, a kitchen with a water tap (the only source of fresh water), and a play area for the children. When I first arrived in Itipini, I was intimidated—the streets were filled with trash, chickens, dogs, pigs, and kids playing. All the houses were put together with car parts, wood, trash, and sticks, along with anything else the residents could find. None of the houses have running water or electricity, and many do not have beds.

My job at the clinic included bandaging wounds, giving immunizations, injecting medicines, counting pills, and finding any way possible to help the nurses. Some days I went to the preschool to play soccer with the children and assist the teachers. The students called me “teacher” and they loved the attention I gave them. A few would give me a hugs or just follow me around. Many of the children did not have shoes or sufficient clothing. Boys under the age of five wore skirts converted from shirts or blankets. The children didn’t have much, and most never bathed and couldn’t get three meals a day. But they kept smiling. They always seemed to make the most of their surroundings—even if all they had to play with was garbage.

Veala pictured at school.

I will never forget a few children, especially one named Veala, who was about six years old. He was very intelligent, spoke confidently, and was always the first to raise his hand to answer questions. Most of the kids understand little or no English, but Veala knew the most. Each day when I was there, he would follow me around, trying to find a way to help me or to play. Everyday I would pack a peanut butter sandwich and take a bite, giving the rest to Veala. His dark brown eyes reached out for attention and love. In the afternoons we would play soccer or run around together. Even though communication was difficult, sports and games proved to be a universal language. Veala and the other kids would exchange words from Xhosa and English. One word, “nci-nc,” or “baby,” required a double clicking sound, emitting a soothing tone. Each day he would try to teach me a new word in his language. Because of the close bond we formed during my stay, it was saddest to tell him goodbye.

During my seven weeks, I felt the constant rush of anxiety and excitement. The trip pulled me out of my comfort zone, which was both frightening and rewarding. South Africa was a place of extremes, where I saw the most beautiful places as well as the most haunting.

On one hand, my trip taught me to keep a watchful eye of everything and everyone around me, especially at night. On the other hand, my trip afforded me the opportunity to meet people like Veala, who will always have a special place in my heart. Like many of the children, Veala was an inspiration.

Hunter Oliver-Allen is a junior Mathematics and Biochemistry major at Colorado College in Colorado Springs. He was awarded a $1,000 venture grant from Colorado College to support his trip to volunteer with “Health Volunteer Overseas” at Bedford Hospital in Umtata, South Africa, last summer.