Dental Clinic update

Working hard to renovate the old residence into an improved Dental Clinic, we are nearing success. Caring for our clients is important. Thus, steps and a ramp are both necessary and available.

The remaining work to be done on the handicap ramp is side rails to avoid an accident. Wheelchairs could overrun the ramp. Putting the rails in place is an added cost but necessary.

The interior work is complete. We are now waiting for the Ministry of Health to approve the renovation. We hope the final update will come in the September newsletter. In the meantime, we are still working from the old location.

View of the front entrance and parking area.

Love being able to see the trees in the neighbor's yard. I do miss the lawn and shade tree.

July 2022 Newsletter

In July, a lot of activity took place at Urukundo Foundation, both at the school and in the village.

I do hope you enjoy the journey through the month with me.

Work continues on the renovation of my old residence for it to become the new location of the Dental Clinic.

Inside work is underway.

Floors are being prepared and waiting for the tile.

The required tile does make a difference.

The new roof is on now. Ceiling panels are needed.

From this to …

THIS! Beautiful.

Gate entrance to the new Dental Clinic from the main road. Looking good. What cleaning the bricks can do!

Same wall looking toward the gate. A lot of work but worth the effort.

Inside the gate. Ollie checking it out.

Developing space for parking. Hard labor. From this to …

THIS! Off-street parking.

Handicap accessible entrance from the parking lot to the waiting room. Ramp in place.

As in all areas of Urukundo, the Dental Clinic has an accessible entrance. Cement not dry yet.

August will see the end of construction and the opening of the improved Dental Clinic. Thanks to all who helped make this possible. I am grateful.

Development

Our 2022 project is moving along.

The project is relocating the Dental Clinic to my former home. The costs are:

• $15,000 to renovate the house

• $1,450 for the new dental chair

• $6,200 for chair accessories.

That’s a total of $22,650. Of that, $2,950 (counting a donation for the chair) has been raised. That leaves $19,700 to raise. Small donations help a lot.

Work in progress on my former residence on May 26.

An appeal from Mama

For Urukundo to become self-sustaining, it is necessary to expand and develop the facilities we already have. To do this, I need your help

Urukundo Foundation is setting a new goal for 2022. That goal is to expand dental service in rural Muhanga, Rwanda. Dental care is so needed.

Now that construction of the new residence in a safer area has been completed and Mama has vacated the house by the side of the road, we plan to renovate the former residence into space for our Dental Clinic. It is along the main road and has its entrance from the road, thus protecting the children at the school.

We are using what we already own rather than purchasing land and building a new structure to improve the dental service. The renovation work will cost about $15,000.

When that move is completed our small dental clinic will be a larger facility. We will have space to add a chair for other services in the larger facility.

A chair can be purchased in Kigali City. The cost of the chair alone is $1,450. That $1,450 has been pledged. I thank the Van Dolson family for this gift.

I was naive to think the cost of the chair included all attachments. So with the accessories added to the original cost – you guessed it – the total cost of the chair was much more. So $6,200 is still needed. This price includes what you see and a compressor machine and stool chair. The new chair will let us add orthodontia to our service to the community. Any help to purchase the needed accessories for the chair would be appreciated.

Why an interest in orthodontia? Too many children and adults do not smile because their teeth are crooked and not a pretty sight. So many children and adults in Rwanda suffer from damage done to their teeth. As babies, the cultural doctors destroyed the root base because they cried while teething. Crying while teething is normal for babies. We rub teething gel on the sore gums, but the remedy in Rwanda was to destroy the baby tooth roots to stop the pain. Not well understood by me, but it was the culture.

Now the second teeth come in out of alignment.

Our Claudine is an example of the need. I want very much to correct her beautiful smile.

Are you willing to help?

Dental news

Taking temperatures has always been a challenge in the dental office, especially for our young patients.

New to the dentistry is a non-contact, forehead infrared thermometer. This type of thermometer also is being used in the school health room as well.

Dental assistant Rahab appreciates the new method in caring for children and adults.

Dental Clinic update

May I introduce trainees Rahab Nyiransengiyumva (dental assistant) and Pascal Ubuzima (dentist in training)?

The other two, Ishmael Niyitegeka (chairside assistant) and Oliver Kansiime (our dentist) you have met before.

In the picture, Rahab is on the left, followed by Ishmael, Oliver and Pascal.

We are delighted to add our dental chair assistant, Rahab, and dentist in training,,Pascal. They are needed additions to the dental staff. Rahab has held other positions at Urukundo, starting as a cleaner and then shopkeeper at the Sewing Center, a caregiver in the daycare and now in training to be a chairside dental assistant. It is our pleasure to give talented, ambitious employees a chance for career advancement.

Pascal is a recent graduate from the University of Rwanda School of Medicine specializing in dentistry.

Our head dental person, Oliver, is an excellent teacher for a young person entering the field. Ishmael and Oliver will help Rahab to become an outstanding chairside assistant.

Notice the sign over the door.

Demonstration of how teeth should be brushed. Anyone have teeth this big? I think not.

Inside the clinic. A great team and equipment.

May 2019 Newsletter

Successful fundraiser

Here it is the end of May. What an exciting month it has been!

Now on my mind is going home to Urukundo.

Of course, the last week in April has to be in the May newsletter. That last week in April saw the “Bridging Pittsburgh to Rwanda” fund-raising event.

Here are members of the bridge team plus two Urukundo siblings, Tresor and Solange, and myself. Awesome group. The three of us told the crowd about Urukundo.

The celebration included a get-acquainted event.

Jewelry and crafts from Urukundo Village were for sale.

The event was well organized and went very well. Everyone had a good time, and funds were raised for the Urukundo Foundation/Hope Made Real.

Funds were raised, but it wasn’t enough to finish building much needed classrooms for the elementary school. However, it was more than enough to pay for a much needed, handheld portable X-ray machine for the Dental Clinic.

MaxRay handheld portable X-ray

Included with the machine are the charger, battery, strap/holster, premium sensor and software.

This is very good news.

Urukundo Dental Clinic wishes to thank Vector R&D Inc., Dr. Richard Reckmeyer and the many others who made this acquisition possible.

Keeping patients dry

There’s a new roof on the Dental Clinic porch. Better protection for patients coming on rainy days.

It’s slanted toward rear to better harvest rain for the water storage tanks. The new roof is in the middle section of the building in the picture below.

Dentistry Students Arrive

Our first students from the Rwanda University School of Dentistry find Urukundo Dental a good place to be. They appreciate the facility, lodging , food and especially the kids.