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Bukumbi bound with Bridge2Aid
Dental Tribune, in our ongoing series looking at the Bukumbi Care Centre in Tanzania and the work of Bridge2Aid, describes how one conversation can inspire people to make a difference...

Itâ€™s funny how a chance conversation can lead you to the greatest adventures. Previously, chance meetings have lead to fantastic weekends in France, journalistic opportunities and invitations to meet people it wouldnâ€™t normally be possible to.

This time, it was in the sparkling surroundings of the 2009 BDA Honours and Awards Dinner that serendipity lent a hand. I was sat at a table with colleagues from one of the dental dealers and we were discussing projects we would like to get involved in doing when one of them mentioned that he was participating on a trip with Bridge2Aid (B2A) to help build a community centre at a small Tanzanian village who supported some of the most disadvantaged people in that region.

This piqued my interest because for a while I have felt that as a supporter of dental professionals I would like to make a real contribution to the work that charities such as B2A do, but as a non-clinician I thought there was nothing I was able to do. The rest, as they say, is history.

I was put in touch with Andrew Thurston, divisional manager of cross infection control product manufacturers SchÃ¼lke UK and lead organiser of the trip. A few days later and I was on the list of intrepid volunteers going to the village of Bukumbi.

Bridge2Aid is a charity working in the Mwanza region of North West Tanzania. It works closely with the Tanzanian Government to deliver aspects of their dental strategy. Its main scheme is the operation of a not-for-profit dental clinic in the city of Mwanza and the training of Rural Clinical Officers (to provide basic emergency dental care in their communities), and have a community development programme for the poor.

This is where the Bukumbi Care Centre comes in. B2A are working in this community to help a group called the Maskini, who are isolated and marginalised by society because they suffer from diseases such as leprosy and other disabilities. This means they have difficulty meeting some of the most basic of human needs such as:

Clean drinking water

A nutritionally balanced diet

Washing facilities for personal hygiene

Funds to secure medical or dental treatment

Any means of income generation

B2A is committed to a long-term plan of improvements at Bukumbi, involving input from the community itself and utilising volunteers to carry out refurbishments. As well as providing on-going access to both medical and dental treatment, B2A has, amongst other things:

Refurbished the toilet blocks and four of the six dormitories

Provided new beds, bedding, mosquito nets and secure storage for belongings

Raised Â£14,500 to fund a new water system for the Centre

Employed Community Development Worker Kibibi Kengia, who has set up an income generation scheme for residents to make and sell their crafts for a small profit

The main building project for 2010 is the establishment of a community centre, which is what myself and the team from SchÃ¼lke, Henry Schein and other areas will be working on. Although the main building work has already been completed, there will be plenty to keep us busy as we help fit it out and make it ready for use. The funds we have raised will also go towards not only this project but many of the other projects that B2A are involved in. In addition, my journalistic experience will come in handy as Dental Tribune tries to document the lives of both the people in Bukumbi and the team at B2A trying to make a difference at both a national and local level.

I am still raising funds for this worthwhile cause. My thanks so far go to my colleagues at Smile-on and Practice Plan and Denplan for their generous support; also individual sponsors including Aideen, Mia, Sarah, Sam, Louise and David â€“ Thanks for your help!

To donate, please go to my fundraising page - www.justgiving.com/bukumbibound. This page is directly linked with the charity, so you know your money is going where it is intended.