Very likely one of the most important, long-term impact initiatives we do!
We are SO thankful that we are able to provide this most amazing event for our Dekpor Basic School students for the fourth time! The dentists first visited in 2019 and then, for a second time, during February of 2021, and the third visit was May 2022. And here we are calling it Dental Week when in fact these professionals have now become such a well-oiled machine dealing with the challenges of Dekpor that they saw the entire school population in just two days!
On May 29 and 30, a team of 4 dentists from Sogakope came to screen, educate and treat our students right at Dekpor Basic School! They put in long, long days, but what a difference they've made...again! As part of the educational component, we purchased and then distributed toothbrushes and toothpaste to each student who was seen...an incredible 680 students!
We are happy to share that the majority of students who required treatments and extractions were ones who are new to our school or missed last year's event. What's that mean? Well, simply put, it means that the previous visits and the ongoing distributions of toothbrushes and paste are making a difference!
Since it is beyond the means of any Dekpor resident to travel to Sogakope for dental work, the dentists also made themselves available after school hours to screen and treat any adult who paid the nominal fee. This is still a matter of furthering education, as most simply do not understand the importance of dental health and the implications of keeping one's mouth and teeth clean.
We are grateful that the cost of the dentists, treatments, medications, and dental supplies were covered with funds raised by our Ghana Nourish Minds walk/run/roll. We had 13 fundraising pages (some represented more than one participant) and a whole lot of friends and families who supported them! Thanks to all of you who made this possible!
