There is an African proverb that states “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” SHAWCOs 2025 Family Day clinic, on 13 September 2025, was the living embodiment thereof: it was a day forged from teamwork and collaboration, each member being a pivotal piece of the puzzle that is putting together a broken healthcare system in the communities that need it most. 

At the heart of all SHAWCO operations is putting the needs of our patients first and foremost, and our 2025 Family Day exemplified this when a collection of like-minded individuals came together to promote health, learning and community-mindedness. Junior students gained valuable clinical experience while their seniors had beautiful full circle moments in teaching their peers the lessons that will mold them into the thoughtful and caring Health Practitioners SHAWCO aims to create. Through these interactions friendships were forged and most importantly, patients were helped.

With over 170 SHAWCO students and 30 Health Care practitioners present, 351 SHAWCO services were provided! The beauty of Family Day, however, is that we were not alone. RES Healthcare brought 14 doctors and 24 Community Health Workers, ILoveBoobies offered breast exams to 168 women and UWC Dentistry saw 180 patients, all contributing to the extraordinary number of 424 patients accessing services in total! Showing the huge impact we can have when we stand together to achieve a goal instead of going alone. 

Beyond these numbers was the amazing impact made by Rotary Foundation who played a crucial role in the organisation of the day, TB/HIV Cares who helped us with offering quality basic medical screening to all patients on the day, Jonga Eyes who offered top-tier ophthalmology care, Community Cohesion and Hangberg Dreams who in collaboration with the Department of Social Services offered much needed mental health care, the WCAPD (Western Cape Association of and for Persons with Disabilities) who set up a stall to offer disability awareness and Vida e cafe and Tiger Brands who kept everyone energised with free coffees and Jungle Bars.

From SHAWCO’s side, we offered all our Medical and Health and Rehabilitation services including Audiology, Speech and Language Pathology, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, Health Promotion, Pap Smears and a fun station for the kids! Finally, with visits from the Faculty of Health Sciences Dean, A/Prof Lionel Green-Thompson Deputy Dean, Dr Kerrin Begg and Rachel Kolisi, the day was applauded by stakeholders and students alike. 

“I gained the experience of being empathetic towards patients who are suffering because as a first year, you are told to be empathetic but you cannot be sure if you will without the experience of a real patient.” (A first-year Health Science student at Family Day).

Furthermore, it was not simply basic screening that occurred at the clinic. Our team caught a diabetic emergency in time, detected an abdominal growth in a 9-year-old boy, and referred a number of patients requiring urgent care including, but not limited to: a 34-year-old lady for specialist treatment after diagnosing an abnormality of the spleen, a 2-year-old with very high temperature in respiratory distress, and a 51-year-old woman with suspected newly diagnosed Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, a chronic, multi-system autoimmune disease. These cases not only illustrate the necessity for quality accessible healthcare but also show the great impact clinics like Family Day have in detecting serious health conditions, which again portrays the success achievable when a strong team comes together with a clear goal.

We hope this article will inspire Health Science students and staff members alike to give their time to volunteer at SHAWCO clinics. Each person who gives up their Saturday to offer their skills, time, and enthusiasm is what makes up the very fabric of what SHAWCO has been built on since its inception in 1943. The enormous growth over the years, despite challenges that arise, creates the resilient organisation that is able to run initiatives like Family Day. 

Finally, in the words of Rachel Kolisi, in reference to a conversation where she spoke about how she got involved with SHAWCO: “It is so beautiful when organisations come together like this to help others. Many people want to help but they don’t know how to go about doing that and who to trust.” This illustrates the need for days like our Family Day clinic so each person, each individual student, Doctor, Dentist or Audiologist alone– we can make a ripple, but together we can make a wave of impact, covering and healing our underserved South African communities.

Get Involved:

Website: SHAWCO.org 
Instagram: @SHAWCO_UCT 
Sign-up link: https://forms.gle/T64cihxajzPJrH8r5 
Email address (to become a supervisor or for questions): health@shawco.org