Kingston, Jamaica –
October 30, 2014
Twelve sophomore students and three professors from the
College of Dentistry at the University of Florida have volunteered and
travelled to Jamaica to assist Food For The Poor with providing free dental
services to less fortunate individuals living in Kingston, St. Andrew and St.
Elizabeth.
The volunteers from the
University arrived on Saturday, October 25 and offered three days’ worth of
free dental services between October 27 and 29, to over 200 children and adults
in the communities of Whitfield in Kingston,
Stony Hill in St. Andrew and Braes
River in St. Elizabeth.
These dental services included: oral hygiene education, cleaning for children
and extractions for both children and adults.
Mr. David Mair, Executive
Director of Food For The Poor Jamaica, stated that his organization was elated
about the partnership with the students and professors, to assist Jamaicans in
dire need of dental care.
“Food For The Poor is happy
that members of the College of Dentistry at the University
of Florida have travelled to Jamaica to help
clean and extract teeth of Jamaicans, and also educate them about oral
hygiene,” Mr. Mair said.
“Food For The Poor is not
only about giving tangible items, but partnering with other organisations and
offering quality services which many Jamaicans cannot afford, such as the
services of a dentist,” Mr. Mair added.
The idea of bringing
members of the College of Dentistry to Jamaica was that of Dr. Lindsey
Chang, Professor in the department at the University, who is a Jamaican. She
spearheaded the first trip of professors and college students in 2011.
“I was inspired to start
this programme because of the need that exists here in Jamaica. Most
of the persons who have benefitted have never been to the dentist because they
cannot afford to see one. This is a privilege for many of them and that makes
our trip very rewarding,” Dr. Chang said in an interview before stating that
her students are always eager and excited about assisting Jamaicans on this
annual mission trip.
Dr Abi Adewumi, Clinical
Associate Professor, Department of Paediatric Dentistry at University of Florida
was one of the individuals who accompanied Dr Chang and the students. She said
the initiative was not only beneficial to Jamaicans, but to herself and the
students, because they got to assist needy individuals and experience Jamaica’s
wonderful culture.
“It is always a rewarding
experience for me to be here in Jamaica
to encourage good oral health practices among the very poor. We have developed
good relationships with the recipients over the years, and they look forward to
seeing us. It is also a great experience for our students who volunteer their
time and skills to improve the oral health of these persons. I am sure this is
a positive experience for them and one that will always be remembered,” Dr
Adewumi said.
Also benefitting from the
visit were students from Braes
River Basic
School. Commenting on the
school’s behalf, the principal, Mrs. Eddie Gayle said her institution was
grateful for the free dental care services offered.
“This is a very vital
programme for the community. Most parents cannot afford this kind of service
for their children and themselves. Most cannot even afford to clean their
teeth. I am extremely happy to know that the students have benefitted from it.
I wish the team could come every year to our community, because this is very
helpful, especially for the students. They are very pleasant, so you find that
the children are not afraid to sit with them,” Mrs. Gayle said.
