We are always looking for adaptable, caring dental professionals to join us! If you are a gentle dentist who isn’t afraid of extractions, or a dental nurse who can work outside a plastic-wrapped dental practice, and you would like to commit some time to help the Timorese people, please contact us.  It is our belief that continuity is the key to a sustainable dental solution, and at the heart of this continuity are the relationships between our volunteers, and between our volunteers and Timorese partners. Hence, we encourage our volunteers to commit some time annually to the program.  Many of our volunteers have formed strong friendships with other members of their team and meaningful relationships with the Timorese.

We send several teams to Timor Leste each year. Although each team is different,  an average team consists of 4 people, who work together for two weeks, under the direction of our East Timorese partners, the Carmelite Sisters.

Blanche and Wayne working in the church’s ‘overflow’ area in Likisa

Father Bong is a medical GP. Hoping to expand his skills to better tend to his community, he worked closely with James while the team was in Railaco this year

Two weeks of your life

A general itinerary:

• The team meets in Darwin or Dili
• Our vehicle is collected, and sundries bought in a Dili supermarket, before heading out to Maubara. Our base is the Clinica Nossa Senhora Saude Dos Emfermos, a health centre run by the Carmelite Sisters.
• The first week is spent in outreach work, in a more remote district. The first and last day of that week are for travel, otherwise the days generally start with a 0730 breakfast and continue until the patients run out (or the team’s energy runs out). Breaks for lunch are quite variable and relate to whatever is going on in the host community and finish times can be quite late due to huge patient numbers
• Week 2 is spent in Maubara/Liquiça District, treating adults and children in local clinics and schools. Breakfast is usually at 0730 and work starts at about 0830-0900. There is a break for lunch, and we generally finish in time to have an afternoon swim at the beach (keeping an eye out for crocs)and a quick beer before dinner. Timings are very flexible and dependant on travel, patient numbers and the Sisters’ other obligations.
• Last day is back in Maubara Clinic, seeing patients, getting the equipment in order, assessing the consumables needed to be brought by the next team, before the flight out to Darwin the next morning