Dentaid Annual Report 2021 (A4 - single page) - Flipbook - Page 6
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FOCUS ON
Overseas
Although Covid-19 caused the postponement of
all Dentaid’s overseas volunteering experiences,
our international work is still going strong as
we find new ways to provide dental services
in remote communities around the world.
Dental equipment and portable surgeries in
DentaidBoxes have been sent to our partners in
South Africa, Ethiopia, Uganda, Malawi, Bosnia,
Zimbabwe and Papua New Guinea, while our
Ugandan dental associates have been busy
running outreach clinics for people who have no
other access to dental care.
Report on Batwa outreach
from Dentaid’s Ugandan associate, Boaz Jardel
The Batwa were originally forest
dwellers, who survived on
hunting and gathering before
they were thrown out by the
government. They now live in
impoverished communities very
far into the countryside. Every
morning it took us two hours to
reach them and set up our clinic
and we had to carry equipment
on our heads to reach
communities the vehicle couldn’t
get to. The first clinic was in
Murambo where hundreds of
people turned up happy to have
a dental service. We registered
234 people who attended an
oral hygiene talk and did 96
extractions. The second day
we went to Ryamihanda in
Ikumba sub county. We were
told the nearest dental clinic is
in Kisoro district on the other
side of the forest which would
be over 60km of winding rough
road away. More than 300
people turned up to this clinic
and we worked until we ran
DentaidBoxes
in Papua
New Guinea
Two DentaidBoxes have
arrived in Papua New Guinea.
One will be used by Kompiam
Hospital to provide outreach
dental services and the other
by the dental team at Moem
Barracks who will fly into remote
jungle areas only accessible by
light aircraft or boat!
out of supplies. The final clinic
was in the Batwa settlement
of Murubindi where we saw
another 132 people. This was
no ordinary dental outreach,
and we learned a lot about
the affairs of our indigenous
people. Thanks to Dentaid for
always looking out for the dental
health of the vulnerable. We are
grateful.”