In day to day practice in the western world we focus so much on the appearance of our mouth, teeth and smiles, that we forget that there are places in the world where simply being able to be out of pain is near impossible due to lack of access to healthcare.
Working in a healthcare profession such as dentistry, it is such a privilege to be in a position to use my skills to help people in this situation, and I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to work abroad on a volunteer basis in the depths of the Masai Mara, Kenya as the resident oral surgeon for the Olmalaika Trust Dental Clinic. It is something that I have always wanted to do, but feared that I would have to wait until retirement to find a suitable time to be away from home, but when a colleague approached me and asked me to join her on this mission, I jumped at the opportunity!
To further extend the experience I have chosen to take my Head Nurse, Pouya, with me to help use his expertise and experience to train dental nurses in the dental clinic alongside working with myself and my colleague clinically. We are both excited at the prospect of making a real and lasting difference to the patients who will need our help in this remote part of Africa.
Who are the Olmalaika Trust Dental Clinic?
The Olmalaika Trust Dental Clinic in Kenya provides free dental care to anyone that needs it. It’s part of a wider trust focusing on keeping young girls safe who have endured trauma in their lives.
You can read more about their work here.
