Dental Ministry
In 2019, after much discussion with the local clinic, and with leadership from Monica Dunn, RDH (from Illinois, USA), we had a very successful dental hygiene week with the local villagers. Monica came to us earlier in the year as an experienced clinic manager, many years in clinic Human Resource management, as well as licensing in Dental Hygiene. With a lot of prior communication and meeting between the mission and the local clinic we set up an excellent visit for Monica and her team. Using the local clinic for 2 days, and two different schools each for 2 days, Monica with two assistants and a translator as well as the local clinic hygienist, succeeded in cleaning 150 mouths, many that have never had a cleaning. This program was very successful for many reasons:
- The leadership of Monica Dunn, who came with assistants, and a good amount of supplies. Their desire to work hard and give many days of their time in Peru for the betterment of the health of local villagers who are poor rural farm workers.
- The proximity and excellent working relationship of the local clinic, only 1 kilometer walk from La Misión
- Strong communication and enthusiasm from the local schools in union with the clinic and faith placed in their knowledge and relationship with La Misión
- The appreciation and visibility of the success of this program brought out the health leadership from the city of Ica, who the local clinic reports to, which will lead to our expanding this program in the future to additional nearby clinics.
At present we have the wonderful challenge of planning with our local clinic, and Ica Clinic leadership (which is over 12 clinics), to be prepared for this great visit in September of 2021. We have many questions that we are working through.
- Additional equipment needs. We are raising funds via a separate effort, for needed equipment for this and future trips, to supplement what the local clinics can offer.
- Each portable “dental office” costs up to $4-5,000. The biggest challenge is finding or raising funds to acquire hopefully at least 2 of these units, Donations are highly needed. Sidra is pursuing other channels as well. (We might rent a few for the first use next year, but this requires returning them to the USA after use, so is not a permanent solution for our plans for a permanent ministry.)
- We are hoping to maintain this equipment at the mission to be available for all future dental visits to supplement the clinics.
- Additional equipment and supplies needed would also include a few portable dental chairs, fillings, and other supplies that we hopefully can also acquire and bring with us.
- We are not short of space to do this sort of work (with clinics, schools, and mission) but getting the needed equipment is our current challenge. Until we can do this we will be restricted to working with the resources available at the clinics.
- For dental surgery, if that is your expertise, we are in communication with the Ica medical and dental management to inventory what they have available to accomodate and what we might need to bring.
- We are pursueing grants that may be available to help with purchasing what we need, but are also efforting to raise funds separately.
- Donations made to this website for this purpose would definitely assist and be fully tax deductable. We would like to purchase needed equipment for this continual ministry. We hope these trips might go a long way toward providing funding. All donations to this cause are fully tax deductable as LAMA is a 501c3 charity.
- If you can help us financially in funding this trip and our needed equipment, please let us know as we bless these villagers.
- If you can provide useful supplies for this or future trips, also please contact us and our representatives who are working this ministry will be in touch with you.
- Getting supplies down here is always a challenge. Please help us by using some of your available checked luggage allotment on your airline. Advance communication with us so we can possibly route supplies in your direction prior to your flight
- If you would like to arrange a similar visit at another time of year and consider leading it, that too can be arranged, especially as we look to supply the mission as a center.
- If you can provide useful supplies for this or future trips, also please contact us and our representatives who are working this ministry will be in touch with you.
- Getting supplies down here is always a challenge. Please help us by using some of your available checked luggage allotment on your airline. Advance communication with us so we can possibly route supplies in your direction prior to your flight
- If you would like to arrange a similar visit at another time of year and consider leading it, that too can be arranged, especially as we look to supply the mission as a center.
