(continued)
It has also been a time of renewal. After significant time off from the field, I am overwhelmed by the basic joy of this work – the special moments with kids, the texture of life here, and the knowledge that what we do really matters.
We began the fall in the magnificent setting of Leh, Ladakh. Framed by white-capped mountains our clinic in Leh serves the surrounding valley villages. This time we arrived in Leh with a different agenda – due to the recession we lost our long-time sponsor, the dZi Foundation who first brought us to Leh. While holding our dental camp, we were also deciding if we could afford to remain in this special place.
We have worked in Leh since 2004 and have 29 schools under our care. Once our clinic and dedicated volunteers got underway, it was clear we would stay. Local partners stepped in to fill gaps in support, while the bond with children returning for care erased any thought of leaving. A surprise and very welcome boost came when a long percolating grant with the Denver and New Delhi Rotary Clubs came through. In the spirit of embracing change, we finally exhaled and signed on for Leh and the future.
Next stop was Nepal. We arrived during the festival season – marigold garlands on the dogs and cows, huge firecrackers going off, and everyone in new finery – a new outfit is tradition during Desain here. Of course the festival meant long nights of revelry and the fireworks set off cascades of incessant barking -- the dogs sleep all day and bark all night -- so it was an exotic and intense entry for our intrepid volunteers.
Our first dental camp set another record – we saw more than 1,100 children with a dynamite group of hard, hard working dentists and hygienists. The pace had the “front office” reeling as we tried to keep records and patients straight. The clinic was a blur of kids lining up, holding their charts and chattering excitedly. We loved these kids – the little girls have braids with bows, or sport a single pigtail going straight up from the top of their heads. The boys jostle for position and all play intently with dinosaurs, puppets and stuffed animals as they wait their turn.
The challenge is to manage the large group, while remembering to care for each child, one at a time. I am touched to see dentists greet each patient as if he or she is the first of the day, and watch volunteers earnestly discuss the merits of brushing as each child exits the clinic.
This year we added a new station to do fluoride treatment. My friend Wendell from bookgroup in Denver became the designated “fluoride lady.” I watched as she loaded overflowing trays of fluoride foam into a child’s mouth, telling them “na nilnush"--don't swallow! Each child stayed for two minutes, their eyes getting bigger and more pleading with time. At the two minute signal, looking as if they might burst, they spit the entire gloppy tray out, smiled and said "Thank you Ma'am."
During this same time, Kim has been hard at work with volunteers in Vietnam. Despite the lingering typhoon, her group set up in a local school outside of Hoi An and another 892 children received first time dental care. These days Kim can be found in Guatemala and Vietnam, while I hold down the north Asia turf. If you have any inkling to come join us and help kids, check out the trip info on our new website – globaldentalrelief.org.
Five weeks of work has gone by in a flash. And in five more I will be home. We are a bit tired but buoyed up by the winning combination of enthused new folks and the continuity of returning volunteers. It is friends who come every year to manage lines and records, returning volunteers who come for a third of fourth time, hygienists who work for a month every year, and Tom, our dentist who looks into every mouth – who create the community that gives us momentum. None of this would be possible without the support of you at home -- donating supplies, making scarves, and contributing your support in so many ways.
This sense of broader community is what sustains us. Kim and I and Katy are so grateful….it means so much to us, and to the children who so desperately need dental care.
So, Namaste, Jullay, Xin chao, and thanks! May our paths cross again soon and often!
Laurie
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