To go on this trip, Hannah needed to be qualified for two years, and she just couldn’t wait. As soon as Hannah was eligible, she signed up to for the programme organised by Dentaid, to join a volunteer team providing dental treatment to people living in the slums of Morocco. The trip was originally scheduled for May 2021 and although COVID has frustrated plans, Hannah is excited to report that the visit will now go ahead in May 2022.
Hannah says, “Dentaid isn’t a very well-known charity compared to some, but they do great work in the UK to help homeless and disadvantaged people get dental care. They also help poor communities abroad. In Morocco, where I will be going, over 70% of people don’t even own a toothbrush; it’s considered a luxury item. There aren’t really any dental practices; we will be helping dentists provide dental treatment to people who really need it in pop-up sites like tents and in schools… anywhere they can. Dentaid volunteers helped over 12,000 people oversees last year and they focus a lot on children. I’m really looking forward to being part of that and learning more about how the people I meet live.
This is a fundraising trip and I need to raise at least £1,550 to make this a reality, but that’s just the target; If I can raise more, then of course that will be amazing.
I’m very grateful for Bupa’s support, they are a sponsor of Dentaid and that’s how I found out about the work they do and the opportunities where I could get involved. Bupa have also made a generous donation towards my fundraising target.
I’m expecting it will probably be quite high emotion, but I’ve always wanted to be able to help people in need and Dentaid are providing an opportunity to do that using the skills and experience I’m building in my chosen career.”
Dentaid’s work is entirely supported by fundraising and donations. In the UK they provide much needed support up and down the country and the need is very real. 40% of British children don’t get regular dental check-ups or receive regular oral health education. 70% of homeless people in this country have dental problems, and 15% have at some point tried to extract their own teeth. You can learn more about the challenges that people face on the Dentaid website and of course the wonderful stories of how this important charity is succeeding in helping.
It’s all made possible by the amazing fundraising work that people like our Hannah throw themselves into. We’re tremendously proud of Hannah and we hope you’ll join us in helping support her kind hearted and generous efforts. If you’d like to make a donation to help Hannah hit and beat her target, then please visit her Just Giving page HERE
Look out for more updates on Hannah’s fundraising progress and we’re looking forward to reporting on her trip in May.
