Our quest to train a dentist in Tanzania and how you can help
75% of the world’s population have no access to the simplest dental care, leaving billions to face the daily battle with pain in the toughest of circumstances.
Bridge2Aid, the UK’s fastest-growing dental charity, is working in the developing nations to address this situation.
Based in Tanzania since 2002, Bridge2Aid has focussed on developing sustainable services, which empower local people to provide dental care in rural communities.
Using money raised in the UK, Bridge2Aid has trained over 170 local health workers in emergency dentistry.
This training has extended access to dentistry into rural Tanzania and an estimated 1.7 million people now live within reach of someone who can help them when they have dental pain.
Elmsleigh House Dental Clinic has been involved with Bridge2Aid as a founder unity partnership member since their early days.
We have already donated more than £3,000 to fund the training of Renatha Ludubi.
Working as a qualified Clinical Officer, based in the Zongomela Dispensary, Renatha told us: “Making dental services available at every dispensary in rural areas is something to be appreciated. Thanks Bridge2Aid and Elmsleigh House…for what you have done.”
With the help of our Facebook fans Elmsleigh House want to raise enough money to train a second Clinical Officer. To achieve this we need to raise £2,500.
For every ‘Like’ on our page we will donate £2 to Bridge2Aid –to hit this target we only need to have 1,250 likes by the end of 2012!
Bridge2Aid are really excited by this fundraising activity.
Kerry Dutton, one of the charity’s fundraising coordinators in the UK, believes we are the first dental practice to use Facebook to raise money for Bridge2Aid – an idea she’s keen to promote to other practices who are considering donating to the charity.
Collecting all of the cash in our very special Bridge2Aid tooth moneybox, we’ll be sending the money you’ve raised out to Tanzania every three months.
While we’re really expecting to reach our £2,500 target by the end of 2012, there is still lots that can be achieved with less: £205 buys a basic dental kit and steriliser, vital equipment each Clinical Officer uses on a daily basis.
Treating between 7,000 and 15,000 people, the Clinical Officers rely upon their instrument kit to provide vital emergency care in rural areas.
Bridge2Aid’s vision is a world free from dental pain.
To help them achieve this please ‘Like’ Elmsleigh House’s page and encourage your friends to do the same – together we can raise enough money to make a different to the lives of people struggling in Tanzania.
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