Category Archives: Uncategorized

July Team arrives back Home

The tiny team of Linda Veloskey and Blanche Tsetong touched down on Australian soil on Saturday, after a massive delay caused by cranky computers and lack of a fax machine in Dili Airport.

LV and BT

As you all know, Team 3 had the excitement of test driving the ‘new’ car and we can report that with the exception of an errant horn, lack of a jack, mismatched noisy tyres, a sticky back door and the unwise use of dodgy fuel, Troopie 2 was a dream ride!

Work locations:  Maubara Clinic, Liquiça Hospital, Vatuvou School, Maubisse Hospital.

The team worked again in Liquiça with Aida, who is fast becoming a tooth extractor

Aida does her first filling on a front tooth
Aida does her first filling on a front tooth

extraordinaire and is now working on her filling techniques. The best bit about the Maubara/Liquiça area, is its proximity to the ocean – an arvo swim is the best balm to a 8 hours standing in 30 degree heat.

squashy Liquica
Squashy Liquica Clinic
Armando
Armando in action

Our second week was spent in the cold mountain town of Maubisse, which despite its lack of beach had a number of advantages – a lower mozzie count, cooler temps to work in, and Armando Da Costa Martins, the new Timorese dental therapist at the hospital – like Tino and Aida, he is super keen to learn!!! Like the others, he also missing a stack of basic dental equipment and materials.

The boss changes gauze on an extraction patient
The boss changes gauze on an extraction patient

 Drill bits (he also has a new chair), suction tips, local anaesthesia and filling materials were only a few of the materials we brought him to get him going! This visit we concentrated on local anaesthetic techniques and infection control, but with a bare 3 days of contact, the learning curve was steep. Nevertheless, Armando took it all in his stride, always smiling and laughing when the going got tough!

Thanks HSH!
Thanks HSH!

In total, the team treated 209 patients, carrying out 134 exams, 210 extractions, 97 fillings, and 20 preventative services. Thank you to Henry Schein Halas for their continued support this trip – we used all that free stuff!!!!

OBRIGADA BARAK LOOS!

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That’s  “Thank you very very much” in Tetum, the lingua franca in Timor Leste. We have a lot to be thankful for. Chatswood Rotary have been working tirelessly to ensure that this Wednesday’s big function is a success; we have gained a new Timorese dental nurse to work with in the mountain town of Maubisse; and while our third team has been in Timor Leste this last fortnight, we have had more donations from our generous supporters (head to the ‘Donate NOW’ page to see who these lovely people are)!

As mentioned before (See post “Program Budget Update”), the Timor Leste Dental Program costs $15000 every year to run and this year the budget has blown out to $43800. So we really appreciate all the support!

The funds raised now = $30345

Obrigada barak ba Ita-nia ajuda! Thank you for your help!

Team 2 report summary

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Team 2’s visit in June was littered with challenges. An erupting volcano threw travel plans into disarray, a missed turn in the road meant an unplanned trip into Railaco, and  broken compressors and dodgy repairs limited both the work done in the first week as well as the team’s movements. Unfazed, the team – John, Tony and bilingual Sam, with our Timorese partners, Sr Filomena and Aida, the Timorese dental therapist – were able to visit the school in Dair and Liquiça Hospital, as well working in the Maubara Clinic. In total they carried out 829 treatments! Well done team!

Tony Hunt and child in Dair

Dinner with the PM

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All of us who are involved in the Timor Leste Dental Program are very excited. As all our friends and supporters are well aware, we have been looking for funding for Troopie 2, for a new compressor and for the general running of the program. Knowing this, the fabulous people from the Chatswood Rotary Club have taken it upon themselves to organise a fundraising dinner, with our dental program as the major beneficiary! The icing on the cake is that the Honourable Tony Abbott, MP, Prime Minister, will be speaking at this excellent event. The fundraiser is on August 6th.

little boys in Maubara

 

TEAM 3 to test drive NEW TROOPIE!

Our new Troopie
Our new Troopie

The program has had a stroke of luck – we have managed to procure a 2011 Toyota Landcruiser Troop Carrier which is already in TL!! Previously owned by another NGO, Seeds of Life, the ‘new’ troopie (T2) has been paid for (thanks to a loan from our Lions partners), registered and insured – a process which has taken 2 months – just in the nick of time for Team 3 to test drive it when they arrive next week! A massive thankyou to Daryl Mills, RAWCS’s man on the ground, ROMAC coordinator and great mate, for doing all the grunt work and making T2 a reality. Without him we wouldn’t have even known a vehicle was coming up for sale!  Thanks Daryl!! (For those unfamiliar with the acronyms, RAWCS = Rotary Australia World Community Service, and ROMAC = Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children. GO to http://www.rawcs.com.au and http://www.romac.org.au for more info on these worthy organisations)

Team 3 consists of Dr Blanche Tsetong, who is in the process of moving back to the madness of Sydney from the glorious Sunshine Coast, and newcomer, Dr Linda Velosky, who has a practice in Redfern. This very small team will be heading to the hills in their second week in TL – to the town of Maubisse, much loved by the colonial Portuguese in the hot, dry months. While it basks in the sun in the morning, Maubisse is usually shrouded in thick cloud by midday, becoming a town of shadow and mist. Cold. V cold. Bring your Ugg boots girls!

 

PROGRAM BUDGET UPDATE

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compressor

It costs $15000 each year to run the program.

This money contributes towards the salaries of local Timorese workers, dental materials and consumables, the purchase of new dental equipment, and the maintenance of used dental equipment, our vehicle and the fixed clinic in Maubara.
This year has been even pricier due to the need for a new vehicle ($25000). Now Team 2 reports that our 10 year old dental compressor, with a price tag of $3800, is on its last legs, having just survived its last repair.

SO THIS YEAR the program needs $43800 in total.

AT LAST COUNT THIS MEANS WE ARE $23620 SHORT OF OUR GOAL!

TEAM 2 RETURNS

After another successful trip, Team 2 has returned unscathed to Oz, despite flight delays due to the Indonesian volcanic eruption, getting lost in Liquiça, and operational problems caused by a malfunctioning compressor – now on its last legs after a bush repair in Dili.

However, their return has been marred by grief and loss. Sadly, John Moran’s mother – Sam Moran’s grandmother – passed away shortly after their return. Our heartfelt condolences go out to them and to their family during this difficult time.

The Generosity of Others

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The Timor Leste Dental Program has just received another couple of generous donations.

The amount of funds raised now stands at $24730

I am humbled by the generosity of so many people, many of whom we have never met, but without whom this program could not survive. We are a small program and we are well aware of the lack of glamour and urgency associated with teeth, especially when compared with famine, war and natural disasters. Hence, on behalf of all Timorese people and the dedicated volunteers, I would like to offer my deepest thanks to all our supporters. Teeth may not be ‘sexy’ but – as many people have experienced firsthand – they have the ability to cause the most acute suffering. Your continued support directly contributes towards alleviation of suffering, increased health, and empowerment of the Timorese people. Thank you and thank you again.

 

 

Team 2 is GO!

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Our second team to Timor Leste leaves today. Dr John Moran, Ms Sam Moran and newcomer, Dr Tony Hunt, all come from far flung Western Australia – too far to be thwarted by a little dust from Sangeang Api volcano in Indonesia!

Once the team touches down in TL, they will have to face other immediate challenges – the old Troopie is blowing hot air out of the air conditioner and has lost its roof racks for good, and they will have to relocate our dental compressor, which had to have a last minute repair in Dili…somewhere….

The team’s program has them in Maubara/Liquiça subdistricts for the first week and in a new location, Bazartete, during the second week. But who knows? Things change in an instant in TL. Good luck, Team!

April Team returns!

David, Carolyn and Peter with the old troopie
David, Carolyn and Peter with the old troopie

 

Another successful trip. Locations attended: Maubara Clinic, Maubara High School, Ediri School, Lebotelo School, Railaco, Nasuta, Railaco Leten, Tocolulu

The team spent their first week in and around Maubara, the second around Railaco. This team consisted of dentists, Peter Shakes and David Digges, and Carolyn Digges, working as the team’s dental nurse, and two of our mentored Timorese dental therapists, Aida, who works in Liquiça and Maubara, and Tino, who is currently stationed in Gleno, as well as Louis, the driver who doubled as the sterilisation nurse. Sr Filomena coordinated the work around Maubara, whereas Fr Bong and Sr Rita coordinated in Railaco.

"Aida the extractor"
“Aida the extractor”

The Troopie was drivable this trip. Yaay! Nevertheless, as always, a number of small problems plagued the team. At Ediri School, the team almost expired from a heat that caused the generator to stall and the compressor to overheat  and, even worse, the emergency fan to die! Small repairs and adjustments to our sometimes temperamental equipment were carried out by Peter; he also organised the repair of the Troopie’s flat tyre in Railaco – we love useful, mechanically minded volunteers!

Tino and Carolyn
Tino and Carolyn on fire

Tino and Aida, both hardworking, enthusiastic and capable clinicians,  benefited greatly from working with two very experienced dentists. Peter was tireless in the support and training he gave during this visit. Like many before him, he noted that despite their impressive skills, lack of support from the Ministry of Health in terms of equipment, materials and facilities limits their capabilities to help the community.  Aida and Sr Filomena had already screened 2/3 of the massive Maubara High School prior to this team’s visit and they plan to return to finish the screening in readiness for the next team visit.

Overall, the team carried out 310 examinations, 332 extractions, 135 fillings, 87 preventative treatments – a total of 886 treatments! Well done to you all, and thank you for all your hard work!