Narooma dentist and Rotarian, Charmaine White, was inspired by the story and images of Cambodian children struggling to survive in their harsh world.
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Under the banner of the Rotary Cambodia Dental Team Project, she will lead a five-member team that will spend 14 days in May treating children from families living on the rubbish dumps around Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh
“The problem is huge,” Ms White said. “A couple of thousand of the country’s poorest families scavenge an existence on the tips. There’s now a school there and we’ll initially treat the kids through the school. Our main task will be to get these children out of pain.”
The team was fortunate to be able to use a dental clinic set up by Australian dentist Robert Ogle, who spends two weeks a month in Phnom Penh and two weeks at his Gympie practice, as well as use his translators. Some of the money raised will also be used to transport kids in from the tip in tuk tuks.
“We’ll use the funds raised in Narooma to buy the disposable things we need, like needles, anaesthetics, filling material, gauze,” she said. “We’ll buy them here and carry them over and leave anything left over for the clinic.”
The team also consists of Narooma dental assistant Sharon White, Rotarians from the Gold Coast dental hygienist Sharyn Tagahoade and Hilda Resburn, and German dentist Marlene Schulz. All team members pay their own airfares and living expenses.
The project received a big boost last Saturday thanks to a Rotary afternoon tea, hosted by Narooma Rotarian Michael O’Connor and his wife Donna who generously opened their home, supplying food and refreshments, and raising $1,654.
“Together with $630 donated largely by Bluewater Dragons members before the day, and a whip around at the Rotary Christmas Party, that makes a total of $2,585 so far,” he said. “We greatly appreciate the support of the Dragonboat people, RFS members, the Numnutz winter swimmers, staff and clients of Narooma Dental Surgery and other friends, as well as Narooma Rotarians.” Stay tuned as further fundraisers will be held in March.