GHANA OUTREACH MISSION 2006

By LaWana Fuquay, GenDen ‘89

In March 2006, I embarked on a dental outreach mission to Nalerigu, Ghana. The dental outreach team members included Dr. Michael Adsit (GPR ’06) and Drs. Renzo Nylander, and Joseph E. Gabacorta, both clinical instructors at the University of Buffalo School of Dental Medicine and four of their dental students.

The team’s outreach mission, coordinated through Buffalo’s Outreach Community Assistance Program, was to provide dental care in the northern villages of Nalerigu, Ghana through the Baptist Medical Center (BMC).

Our journey included a two-day plane ride, a 14-hour, one-way van ride to Accra, the capitol of Ghana, and five days of outreach work. The dental team was directed by Dr. Nylander, a native of Sierra Leone, who guided us through the area’s cultural differences. In Nalerigu, northern Ghana, the dental team stayed at the BMC volunteer house, which received electricity in 1998 and telephone lines in 2001. The month of March is called “waligu saha” by the local natives as temperatures frequently approach 100 degrees Fahrenheit with 70% humidity.

The BMC compound served as our central location in Nalerigu as we ventured out several hours to the two or three villages we served each day. The news of our team’s arrival was passed on to the villages by the BMC representative. As we traveled from village to village, we enjoyed the natural terrain and its people. In each village, we scouted out a well-shaded area to set up our portable dental clinic for community outreach. Our services consisted mainly of examinations and extractions. We treated everyone who came to the clinic until the last person was served; a total of 250 individuals.

One day we traveled to the villages of Zaarantinga and Dindami. As customary, Dr. Nylander arranged for a meeting with the chief of the villages as an act of honor before any treatment began. This was a highlight of my trip to meet the chief of Dindami because the chief is a woman. She was happy we were in her village performing such an invaluable service.

Serving others in my trip to Ghana was a personal and rewarding experience. I feel obligated to promote good oral health in the Rochester community and in our global community as well. My experience as a resident in the Advanced Education General Dentistry Program prepared me for the community outreach service that I do and love. The Ghana trip was great and I would gladly do it again!

Ghana Photo Gallery

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