Trained D.R.O.P.S. volunteers traveled to Malawi for the first time in August 2017 to support the Sparkle Foundation (https://sparklemalawi.org/), founded by Sarah Brook in 2010. There, in Sogoja, Zomba, a village of 7,000, children and adolescents received dental treatment for the first time in their lives at the Sparkle Foundation center.
The school provides two meals a day and classes five days a week to more than 250 children ages 3 to 16. The school is divided into three classrooms and an outdoor play area, and children are divided into manageable age groups, with 3 to 5-year-olds taught in the morning and 6 to 17-year-olds taught in the afternoon.
The D.R.O.P.S. team was also international during this mission: including an Egyptian pediatric dentist Dr. Yasmin Kottait, who practices in Dubai, and volunteers from Germany, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and South Africa who supported in providing medical care. More than 500 dental fillings and other dental treatments were performed. At the same time, D.R.O.P.S. volunteers imparted important tips on everyday preventive health care and nutrition optimization in specially designed workshops.
When the team arrived at the school, they were greeted by many friendly and welcoming faces. The D.R.O.P.S. program began with a teacher session on the importance of nutrition, exercise, hygiene and dental care - all cornerstones of the Sparkle and D.R.O.P.S. philosophy. Each section was well received by the teachers and each ended with an interesting question and answer session. The sessions were translated by the school's very lively local nurse, which made for lively participation and endless laughs.
The most memorable part of the teacher session was their keen interest in learning. They hung on every word of the new information, taking notes to make sure they remembered everything later. At the end, all teachers received a D.R.O.P.S. T-shirt and a new toothbrush and toothpaste, donated by Philips and Oral B. The look of gratitude on their faces was priceless.
Next, the dental station was set up in the classroom to perform basic dental exams and fillings. After lunch, the volunteers split into two groups: one for medical care and one for education, games, painting and face painting. The teachers assisted in coordinating the children, and the most amazing thing was how well the children behaved and how grateful they were. The non-medical team started with teaching about nutrition, exercise, hygiene and basic dental care, followed by painting, balloons, stickers and face painting.
The day ended with a successful visit from the dentist, who treated over 70 children and placed about 200 fillings. For all the children it was their first visit to the dentist and they received their first toothbrush and toothpaste.
The second day began at 9 a.m. with the youngest children, ages 3 to 5, and included a half day of fun, games and handing out donated children's clothing.
On the last day, when we arrived at the school, we were welcomed by the children and teachers with 30 minutes of singing and dancing. Happy and smiling faces blessed the morning and all the children proudly wore their new clothes.
The day included a whole range of activities, such as basic dental treatment for the rest of the children in the dental station, art, distribution of toys and outdoor games.
After a busy day, the dentist and volunteer team examined another 100 children and provided over 300 more fillings. Afterwards, the children and teachers rejoiced once again with songs and dances to close out the day and say goodbye to the D.R.O.P.S. team.
The collaboration and joint efforts of the D.R.O.P.S. and Sparkle teams during these three days enriched the lives of over 170 underprivileged children. Each volunteer became a drop in the ocean of giving.
A big thank you from the D.R.O.P.S. Foundation to all the volunteers and supporters who donated their time, money, clothes and toys to make this trip such a success. The smiles on the faces of the children and youth is the biggest thank you anyone could ask for.
The collaboration and joint efforts of the D.R.O.P.S. and Sparkle teams during these three days enriched the lives of over 170 underprivileged children. For most of the children it was their first visit to the dentist and they received their first toothbrush and toothpaste.
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