In January 2018, Rotarians from the Rotary Clubs of Scarborough Passport, Etobicoke and the Rotary Club of Huatulco, Mexcio were was concerned for and devoted to the dental mission of Huatulco, Mexico. This is their 2019 follow up story, as told by the newest member of the team, Sonya Thompson, Youth Service Chair in the Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood. ......
Here is Sonya's story:
I didn’t know what to expect when travelling to Huatulco which is the Southern Pacific coast of Mexico. What I did know is in January of 2018 an unselfish team comprised of three Rotary clubs,( Huatulco,Mexico; Etobicoke; and Scarborough Passport) was concerned for and devoted to the dental mission of Huatulco, Mexico. Things were/are not as upscale or sophisticated in Mexico, as they are in North America. Subsequently, the Mobile Dental Clinic wasn’t any where close to the quality or exceptional detail of a dental office one would be accustomed to back home.
Having no previous understanding about Mexico prior to leaving January 2019, I was largely moved by the variances in the two sides of the border. Mexico’s underprivileged and humble lack many services and the means or economic resources to go where the service is provided.
In this case, the mobile dental clinic brought free dental care to the children of Huatulco, Mexico.
In January 2019, Past District 7070 Assistant Governor Dr. Raffy Chouljian, President of the Scarborough Passport Rotary Club Jennifer Fogarty, Scarborough Passport Rotary Club member Ryan Fogarty and Youth Committee Chair of the Rotary Club of Oshawa-Parkwood, Sonya Thompson, coupled the organizational help of Past District Governor Michael Bell, reactivated the mobile dental clinic and traveled to small villages around Huatulco to provide free dental care to children.
The mobile clinic is a basic trailer with a dental engine (the chair) bolted to it yet, there are no chairs for the dentist or assistants and subsequently no tables either furthermore; there were very few instruments to work with.
The most complicated component was the communication barrier between the students thus were at the grace of translators quickly learning that the children were expected to be unyielding. A day typically would begin around 0800 – 0830 most mornings then we would return around 1500 with no breaks. Assembly-line dental work. There were approximately 25 children seen a day sometimes more. All members of our team worked all week treating the kids, sterilizing instruments, as well as, setting up and taking down the clinic every day.
This experience was a true example of rotary volunteers dedicating their talent and time for a humanitarian cause.
Editor's Note:
Thank you to this dedicated team from District 7070 and from Huatulco , Mexico.
As PDG Michael Bell said last year, "Life is supposed to be fun!"
And that is what Rotarians do. Rotarians really are People of Action.
Here is a Youtube video of their 2018 trip:
Here are some of their 2019 project photos :
