February 2021
Well, there was quite the lead up for Health Week to actually happen and loads of individuals who helped make it a reality!
The funding was put in place November 2019 when DSDO was chosen as the recipient charity for the annual gala hosted by Emajjin Children's Foundation, however, the mid-March 2020 scheduled timing got thrown by the wayside as the pandemic swept the globe. Thankfully, Dekpor has been kept safe from the virus, and this most exciting endeavour was given the green light for February 2021.
A team of 3 dentists and 3 vision nurses came from Sogakope.
They were in Dekpor for a total of 3 days, and good gosh, what long days they were!
The task was huge! First off, there were educational sessions held for each age group. Then, there was the screening of every individual. If treatment was required, that also was done on school campus. Meds were dispensed by our local clinic nurse. Linda, Abraham, the medical specialists, and a few responsible students were kept incredibly busy!
A total of 813 elementary students, sponsored apprentices/high school students, and Dekpor Basic School staff were seen.
At the end of each school day, the medical team was available, for a nominal fee, to check and treat any Dekpor resident. An additional 75 people took advantage of this opportunity.
The preparation leading up to this was rather astounding, both in Ontario and in Ghana. More than 1000 toothbrushes and even more eyeglasses and protective cases were collected and shipped from Ontario...and we thank the many, many people who contributed to the collections. The donors have been mentioned in month-end recaps on the Latest News section on the homepage, corresponding with the timing of their donation.
Inside each hygiene kit was soap (made by one of our DSDO-sponsored grads), toothpaste, a toothbrush, a hanky, and antiperspirant and dental floss (for oldest students only). It was the Cline family, back in early March 2020, who helped sort all the goodies and put them into the bags donated by Sigma Promotions. The kits were filled with age-appropriate items, including the proper-sized toothbrush for the recipient.
None of this would have been possible without the funding from the Pink Tie Affair that was hosted by Emajjin Children's Foundation. DSDO was the recipient of an incredible $40,000! We are so grateful to all of the people who attended the November 3, 2019 event and to those who donated goods.
What an incredible impact this all has made! Improved health for the people of Dekpor, Ghana.
