Page 21 - ICD Newsletter November 2021 Final Draft_Neat

Paula is an extremely determined and focused young
lady and, after a shaky start, she did well in this last
semester with consistently high results. Ana Paula is
continually supported, mentally and academically, by
members of our team and she has now developed a
good network of friends in Fiji. The Covid situation
and her family continue to worry her, but overall,
Ana Paula is faring well. (Photo: Ana Paula at Fiji
University, March 2020 with her allocated mentor)

In addition, schools have been closed, or not
accepting visitors, since early 2020 which means our
school dental program, which supports 17 schools,
has not been functioning at all. The schools re-opened
in late September this year and the TLDP therapists
visited six schools in early October to deliver oral
health education and hand out toothbrushes and
toothpaste.

The pandemic has also affected shipping and we’ve We keep in regular contact with our partners - the
had trouble resupplying our staff with consumables. Carmelite Order - and our employees in Maubara. We
The Ministry of Health dental clinics have also been are now coming up to our annual meeting, which will
suffering from chronic shortages of materials, so be held via Zoom – something that would have been
the TLDP has been assisting with their shortfall, unthinkable 15 years ago! All our regular volunteers
particularly with local anaesthetics and filling are champing at the bit to get back to Timor Leste.
materials. We are keeping our fingers crossed and hope that
the travel situation will have improved enough to
To add to the challenge of the pandemic, Timor make the trip over in 2022.
Leste was struck by severe flooding in April. Ana’s
family home was inundated and she lost most of Blanche Tsetong, timordentalprogram@gmail.com
her possessions. Fortunately, the building itself
was sound and her family is recovering. Bony M’LOP TAPANG, CAMBODIA
Margom, one of our translators, was not as lucky. His
family’s home was severely damaged and they lost
everything. The floods destroyed roads and further
hampered access to the Maubara Clinic. The TLDP
provided financial support and the use of its vehicle
for flood relief efforts.

Farther afield, Ana Paula Salgado is continuing her
dental studies in Fiji National University. She has
had a difficult couple of years, but she continues to
amaze her supporters. It is challenging enough to
study at university level in another country in a 3rd
or 4th language. Having to cope with the isolation of 2021 has been a challenge to provide dental services
pandemic restrictions as well as the separation from to the children and families of M’Lop Tapang. Schools
family in times of bereavement and sickness has were closed for over 7 months, from February to
significantly increased the difficulty. Nonetheless, Ana September 2021. Many children in the rural areas

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