Children benefit from the Bulls’ well-played matches

The Vodacom Bulls rugby players visited the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital‘s playroom on 18 April, to spend a few hours with three children who have been affected by bilateral cleft lip and palate from birth.

The rugby players witnessed the children’s happiness, who have benefitted from corrective surgery or who are about to undergo surgery, and this is thanks to the funds that were raised by the Vodacom Bulls players over the games they had played in this season.

Bulls player Jamba Ulengo said seeing the children made him emotional, especially since he is a father as well.

“I feel like people should be more understanding. I don’t get the fuss around the issue, except that awareness just needs to be created,” said Ulengo, who also engaged in a lengthy conversation with one of the mothers whom her child was born with the condition.

Through the Vodacom Tries for Smiles campaign, the Vodacom Foundation donates R3 000 for every try scored by a South African team at this year’s Vodacom Super Rugby competition to the Smile Foundation.

Children will also feel blessed to have the Smile Foundation non-profit organisation in their corner, with its main core to ‘make a difference in the lives of disadvantaged children living with facial conditions.’

Smiles Foundation’s CEO, Hedley Lewis said he is satisfied with how the event transpired. “The rugby players arrived and they are super excited. They have inspired the mothers and for most of these families, there is still a journey to go. They need to do follow-ups, they need to attend therapies, and they need care from there hospitals.”

Lewis explained that the bilateral cleft lip and palate makes it difficult for the young ones to smile, eat properly and sometimes breathe.

“Statistics will tell you that one in 750 South African children are born with a facial condition, but that statistic won’t tell you that they are also born into a world of hurt and prejudice.”

One of the children at the event was Kgotso Molekoa, a 13-year-old, has had his condition become much better with his age explained his mother Annah Molekoa. “When he was very young, it was quite worse actually. Right now he is better and he’s in Grade 5.”

On this occasion, it was two tries scored by the Vodacom Bulls in their clash with the Crusaders, because at that moment, a team of South African rugby players proved that what happens inside those four white chalk lines can change the life of someone outside of them.

Do you know anyone who might have a facial condition? Let us know on @RG_Gazette.

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VIDEO: Smile Foundation gives hope to children with cleft palates

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