Imvelo Smile and See safari 2025

Another end of year means another Imvelo Smile and See dental and optical safari! A few years back a group of dentists went on safari. They quickly realized a need for dental care in the communities surrounding their camp and, as the saying goes, they made a plan. Soon after, an optical team joined the collaboration. Fifteen years and 50,000+ patients later, the bond between the Smile and See dentists, opticians, and support staff, numbering well over one hundred strong, and the communities they serve has flourished. It was a natural progression from safari clients to volunteers to friends. This bond has now become a family.

At times Smile and See appears to be organized chaos. Often there is humor, and then there are moments of heartbreaking sadness. The expected challenges and frustrations of trying to pull off a project of this magnitude in the rural bush are tempered by the touch of a child who wants to say ‘thank you’ or the simple gift of a homemade basket. People often tell Imvelo that Smile and See is life-changing for patients. But that is only half the story. The communities that have welcomed and trusted Smile and See with their care have truly changed everyone’s lives who are a part of the project.

Here are a few statistics and stories from the 2025 Smile and See safari…

Eye care
3,308 eye care patients were seen throughout the 2025 Smile and See program. Over 3,500 prescription and reading glasses and nearly 3,000 pairs of sunglasses were handed out. Since 2011, the Smile and See program has treated 23,257 eye care patients!

Fluoride applications
1,410 school children received fluoride applications, were given toothbrushes and taught the importance of dental hygiene. The Cobras and Cheetah scouts made the most of the opportunity by also sharing some stories about their work protecting wildlife. Read more about their work here.

Feeding patients
Patients sometimes travel 100km to get treated and so providing food is a must. This year Imvelo provided over 7,000 free meals for patients and their accompanying relatives. Warm sadza with beans and soya chunks as well as mahewu, a nutritional drink, were prepared and served by a team of local cooks.

Identifying special cases
Sometimes patients that come for assessment cannot be helped significantly at the mobile sites. The team takes their information and see if, through further fundraising, it’s possible to help them by sending them to towns and hospitals at a later stage. This year, 31 people with “special cases” were identified to try to help in the new year, some more or less urgent.

Dental care
Over the course of 5 mobile clinics, 1,699 patients were treated for extractions, restorations, and fillings by the expert Smile and See dental care team. One such patient, the Smile and See’s 50,000th patient, 67 year old Michel Ndlovu (pictured up top), received two extractions!

Ngamo Clinic’s new wing
In December 2025, the Ngamo Clinic’s second wing was finally ready – just in time for the mobile dental and eye care clinic at Ngamo. The patient waiting area was used by the optometry team and other rooms were used for storage and patient consultation. Read more about it here.

Cataract patients
The Smile and See eye care team identified 277 patients, mostly elderly, in need of cataract surgeries. They hope to be able to provide free cataract surgeries to as many people as possible in the new year through their cataract surgeries program, totaling 345 free operations to date.

Centenarian patients
The Smile and See team treated three centenarian patients in 2025! In the past 15 years, the team only recalls treating one centenarian patient. The scarcity is probably a testament to the hard living in Zimbabwe’s rural villages but that’s what makes anybody who does prevail and survives for over a hundred years so very special. The three centenarians who came into the mobile tented multi-department hospitals this year had the team not only in awe, but feeling awfully proud and privileged for the opportunity to treat these incredible humans. Read more about this heartwarming story here.

Precious partners
Partners, donors and friends are what makes Smile and See such a resounding success. Imvelo is grateful to the oversees volunteers, the local healthcare team, the behind-the-scenes logistics crew, the suppliers, the funders and the cheerleaders! They wish to pass on a huge thank you for everyone’s support, expertise and enthusiasm for this program! Smile and See is a true team effort and its success is thanks to all of you!