Category Archives: Uncategorized

Blood, Sweat and No Tears

– Peter Shakes

Peter Shakes and Father Bong, our indispensable, host in Railaco.
Peter Shakes and Father Bong, one of our indispensable hosts in Railaco.

Blood- Caries rules here and exo is all to often the clear and merciful solution.

Sweat- No surprise really given the proximity of the equator. But be prepared- it is bloody hot.
No Tears- Not for us but the world’s newest nation has had more than its fair share.
                   Perhaps that’s why you might give it a go.
                   Or perhaps you might just want to meet some truly inspired and inspirational people like the one in this photo ( not the Anglo male- that’s me ).
                   Or perhaps you might just want to make a difference, small as it might be.

 

FIRST TEAM 2014!

Uncategorized

Our first fabulous team is off to Timor in 2 weeks! The team consists of regulars, Dr David Digges and Carolyn Digges, and we are pleased to welcome Dr Peter Shakes from South Australia, who will be joining a team for the first time! This team will be heading out to beautiful Railaco, in the foothills just to the west of Dili, and hosted by the super efficient team of Sister Rita and Father Bong.

$11290 MORE NEEDED FOR A NEW CAR!

Uncategorized

Thank you to all our generous donors! We are well on the way to obtaining that all-important vehicle, which we need to help the people in Timor Leste’s isolated villages

FUNDS RAISED: $13710

 

alin orfonato

Disaster strikes for the program

Out Troopie in 2012 on the way to Letefoho
Out Troopie in 2012 on the way to Letefoho
The roads are bad in Timor Leste, especially outside of Dili. Rough. Hard on vehicles (and their drivers). This year, the program’s vehicle, a Toyota Troop Carrier, finally succumbed to the pressures of being driven to remote villages in TL and kicked the bucket – AGAIN. Over the past couple of years, the ‘Troopie’ has become exponentially more expensive to repair. Now we are faced with the grim fact that we need a new – secondhand – one. With the majority of our work being in remote and rural locations, a vehicle that can carry all our equipment is essential. PLEASE HELP US TO RAISE $25 000 by next February so we can continue our work!

Not enough dentists in Timor Leste

Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , ,
Typical dental condition in Timor
This swelling arose from a baby tooth that didn’t fall out by itself. Fueled by TB infection, it grew until it covered this 12 year old boy’s teeth so he could no longer eat. It took him 4 days to travel to a doctor

Timor Leste (East Timor) has a population of 1.1 million people. Of the less than 10 dentists in the country, almost all practice privately in Dili, the capital. There are a few free dental clinics – also located in Dili.  In comparison, the vast majority of East Timorese live rurally, reliant on subsistence farming. Hence, for the majority of East Timorese, dental treatment is something that is both financially and logistically unattainable. The Timorese government has tried to address this need by employing Indonesian-trained East Timorese dental ‘nurses’ in some rural hospitals. Unfortunately, these individuals are poorly trained, have minimal experience and are expected to attend their communities’ dental needs with almost no equipment.

The Timor Leste Dental Program is based in Maubara, a town 60km west of Dili, a trip of about 1 1/2 hours. Each year, several teams of volunteer Australian dentists, dental assistants and other dental professionals give two weeks to help our nearest neighbours. The purpose of the program is two-fold: Firstly,  to support the rurally-emplaced Timorese dental nurses with equipment, training and mentoring so that they can better serve their communities. Secondly, to provide much-needed dental care to the people living in rural areas of western Timor L’este.

Timorese communities suffer from high rates of dental decay and much of our treatment involves extraction of teeth that have caused pain for years. Many people have never seen a dentist before. The chewing of betel nut is common and so there are also many extractions due to gum disease. There is also a high incidence of oral cancer and tuberculosis-influenced oral infection. We see many things over there that simply do not exist here in Australia.