Cooperating country Burkina Faso
Country manager: Alexandra Sommer
alexandra@tandlakareutangranser.se
Burkina Faso is located in the Sahel area, i.e. the lower edge of the Sahara desert and has no coast of its own. This makes it difficult to build up exports and imports, as transport and customs costs make it difficult to compete on the world market. 80% of the population still lives on subsistence agriculture and 70% of the adult population is illiterate. According to the UNDP's Human Development Index, Burkina Faso ranks 183 out of a total of 186 countries, and is thus the world's third poorest country. The general healthcare system has tremendous shortcomings and lacks almost everything: staff, sterile environments, equipment and premises. The shortage of dentists and dental care is widespread. There are 4 trained dentists in the municipality of Ziniare with approximately 65,000 inhabitants.
Our partner for TLUG in Burkina Faso is the Swedish non-profit organization Yennenga Progress, which actively participates in community building by developing the concept of The Good Village. What started with a preschool in the village of Nakamtenga, in Burkina Faso, has since 2001 developed into an entire community under growth.
You can read more about Yennenga Progress at yennengaprogress.se
In general, dental health in the area has deteriorated. With a growing middle class and the ability to buy food, the consumption of sugar has increased. This, combined with a lack of knowledge about preventive dental care, has led to an increased incidence of caries and dental problems.
The project has just started and the first group of volunteers will be sent down in November 2019. We will work in the village of Nakamtenga with their preschool and primary school as well as with a preschool in a nearby village of Monomtenga. In Nakamtenga there is a newly opened dental clinic which is so far only used when TLUG is on site and is run in combination with the medical center Dr Denis Mukwege Center.
The volunteer trips last for two weeks and will take place during the months of November and March. All professional categories are welcome to apply: dentists, dental hygienists, dental nurses and students. The volunteers themselves are responsible for the flight, vaccinations, insurance and private excursions. Food, accommodation and transport during the working weeks are offered free of charge.
The goal is to achieve long-term improved oral health. Through long-term planning, the project must have a positive and continuous impact on as many people as possible. The aim is to work with help for self-help to avoid a position of dependence between the partners concerned and the country in question.
What you as a volunteer can expect is training in oral health and hygiene as well as dietary habits, preventive care and some emergency treatment for the students. A toothbrush project will also be started, which means that the children brush their teeth under supervision every day at school.
please read the travelogue from the latest project, and click here to see a video about the project from February 2019. There you will get more information and a feeling of what it is like to participate in Tandläkare utan gränser (Dentists Without Borders)' volunteer project!
REGISTRATION:
Send your application to alexandra@tandlakareutangranser.se
We would like the following information from you:
1.-Name, surname
2.- Professional category and professional years
3.- Have you volunteered before in Sweden or abroad? If so, when and where?
4.- Why do you want to volunteer with us?
5.- Personal motivation and your view of what you can bring to the project
We will reply as soon as we can!