Rural Support Network

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Rural Support Network

Passionate about rural health since 1996

21/10/2025

⏰ LAST DAY TO APPLY!
All years • All disciplines • For Free

Watch our Emmaus placement video 🎥 and see why you don’t want to miss this! 💚

👉 Apply now – link in bio!

20/10/2025

🌿 OTs, here’s your chance to make a hands-on impact!
Join RSN Summer Placements 2025 and bring function, independence, and hope to rural communities.

🏥 Isilimela Hospital (EC):
• Educate on stroke (CVA) and comorbidities 🧠
• Support diabetic patients with lifestyle management & recovery
• Promote self-care and daily living skills in low-resource settings

🏥 Emmaus Hospital (KZN):
• Help introduce the rural mobility transport device
• Empower patients with disabilities to regain independence and community participation

Build your rehabilitation, community, and patient education skills while serving where you’re needed most. 💚

🔗 Apply by 21 Oct 2025 — link in bio!

20/10/2025

🌿 Physios, make your impact this summer!
Join RSN Summer Placements 2025 and bring movement and hope to rural communities.

🏥 Isilimela Hospital (EC):
• Educate diabetic patients on safe exercise & foot care
• Manage diabetic foot complications 🦶

🏥 Emmaus Hospital (KZN):
• Support amputee rehab & raise awareness on a new rural mobility transport device

Gain real-world experience in community-based and clinical rehab while serving where it matters most. 💚

🔗 Apply by 21 Oct 2025 — link in bio!

24/09/2025

Happy Heritage Day from RSN!! 🛖🎉

We invite you to celebrate with us by joining our Run 4 Rural fun-draiser on 4 October in support of the rural communities in which we all have our roots! 🏃🏽‍♂️

06/09/2025

Run 4 Rural is BACK! 🎉🥳🤸🏼‍♂️🏃🏾‍♀️‍➡️🏃🏻‍➡️
✨ Join us in 4 Saturdays' time for our epic annual 6km fun-run. Open to runners, walkers and everyone in between — UCT students, staff, and anyone else who shares our passion for rural health care!
➡️ Swipe to see what we achieved together last year. This year we want to extend our support for rural communities even wider.
🎟️ Tickets are LIVE! R50 for students and R70 for non-students. Get yours on the WebTickets link in our bio.

📌 Starting at UCT Faculty of Health Sciences, Anzio Rd. Arrive at 8:30 on Saturday, 4 October for ticket-check / registration.

15/04/2025

Just a day filled with joy and laughter as we revist our fondest childhood moments. See you there😊🌱

30/09/2022

Heyy RSNetworkers📣💃🏽🥳

It's that time of year again where our old team needs to hand over to a new committee!

Do you have a passion for rural health care and rural health awareness?

This might just be the committee for you! Look at the post to see the available positions and apply before the 15th of October

25/09/2022

Heyy RSNetworkers👋🤟

Highlights captured from the SASL event on the 23rd September 2022

01/09/2022

Hey RSNETWORKERS ✨💃🏽

Dear Students and interns: We’re excited to announce that we will be hosting a Rural Seeds Café at the RHC. The title for the discussion is “What I Wish I Had Known About Rural Before Comm Serve”. All health sciences students and interns are welcome to join the discussion where young health professionals will be sharing their experiences in rural health. If you’re interested in going into rural or finding out more about it, please join the Rural Seeds Café on Thursday, 01 September, 16:30- 17:30. P.S. Mayara Floss, the founder of Rural Seeds Café, will be joining the discussion too.

Address

Anzio Road, Observatory
Cape Town
7925

Website

https://rsncommittee.wixsite.com/ruralsupportnetwork

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Our Story

WHO ARE WE? Rural Support Network (RSN) is a student run society that formed in 1996 at the South African Medical Students Association general assembly held at the University of Cape Town. Our society strives for the development and improvement of Rural Communities in South Africa through recruitment and retention of Rural health care workers. https://rsncommittee.wixsite.com/ruralsupportnetwork

WHAT DO WE DO? We offer students the opportunity of being placed in a rural hospital for two-weeks in December, entirely funded for by the society, where they are encouraged to shadow the health professionals in the hospital, undergo recruitment at local high schools and initiate a health promotion project that can have a long term benefit in the hospital and community.

We also host, in conjuction with SHAWCO Rural, a Rural Health Awareness month for the UCT Faculty of health sciences’ students.

The Placements: This program allows students to gain exposure and experience in rural areas not just in a clinical sense, but to enjoy learning about a different culture, practice language skill, explore beautiful parts of South Africa, and learn more about your colleages. Every year we send as many students as our budget can allow, ranging from 15-20 students, grouped at different hospitals in teams of 4. Applications are done via the UCT internal system, VULA.

A study has been performed on the value of this placement experience and can be accessed via this link: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/20786204.2012.10874248?needAccess=true Recruitments:

This programme is run throughout the year but occurs mainly on the Placements trip. It involves advocating for tertiary education as an option for learners in the rural areas, specifically in the field of the health sciences. We open a window of possibility for these students - educating them about the different disciplines at our faculty, the process of application and receiving funding, placing emphasis on the importance of NBT’s, and giving our contact details to those students who need more help and mentorship to achieving this. It is a rewarding and important part of building a legacy towards improving rural health care.

Talks and workshops:

Apart from placements, our main focus is widening our (the Faculty of Health Sciences students) understanding of the National Health Crisis and Health for All, especially in the rural sector, becoming sensitized to the need for rural health care workers. We also offer skills workshops to all discplines, such as taking bloods, putting up drips and and cultural sensitisation workshops.

We also want to hear from rural doctors about their experiences, to create realistic expectation and to correct misconceptions.

Fundraising

Every year in April/May, we have our Run For Rural challenge. This is a 7km race (the average distance that a person has to walk to access their nearest health care center from their home) and is participated by students and staff at UCT.

We offer an exciting dining experience at The GOLD restaurant in September, where we enjoy a five-course meal, music entertainment and an opportunity to engage with faculty members of staff and students.

Thank you for you interest in and support of RSN! We look forward to the year ahead.

The Committee 2020:

Chairperson - Tanweer Charles

Deputy Chairperson - Aneesa Kathree

Treasurer - Thaakirah Arendse

Secretary - Vuthlarhi Shirindza

Community-Orientated Care - Chante-Lauren Witten

Workshops & Events - Funmi Afolayan, Sithandiwe Dlamini, Kopano Marobyane

Recruitments - Zola Mbaxa, Thabang Diago

PR & Marketing - Taufeeq Matthews, Tshegofatso Masenya

Fundraising - Asande Vilane, Tapiwa Tarwa

Research - Priyanka Chinniah

Rural Support Network

21/10/2025

20/10/2025

20/10/2025

24/09/2025

06/09/2025

15/04/2025

30/09/2022

25/09/2022

01/09/2022

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The Committee 2020: