Bridge2Aid celebrates 20 years of impact with the #20FOR20 appeal
NewsPosted by: Dental Design 7th August 2024
This year marks a remarkable milestone for Bridge2Aid as the charity celebrates 20 years since its very first Dental Volunteer Programme in Tanzania.
To honour this achievement, they are launching the #20FOR20 campaign, and are inviting you to join them in creating a lasting legacy. By donating £20, supporters can help them raise £20,000 to kickstart the next 20 years of life-changing work!
Donations will make a profound difference by:
- Empowering the local dental workforce: supporting the training and up-skilling of local oral care providers, ensuring essential treatment reaches those in need
- Educating communities: training teachers and community health workers to spread vital oral health messages in schools and communities
- Expanding reach: enabling the expansion of programmes to create sustainable, community-led changes that will impact thousands of lives.
Why is this work vital?
Oral diseases and pain affect around 3.5 billion people worldwide, with the most disadvantaged populations bearing the brunt, particularly in remote rural areas. This often prevents individuals from eating properly, working, and attending school. Shockingly, 75% of those affected live in low and middle-income countries.
In Tanzania’s Mwanza region, 76% of adults and 38% of children suffer from untreated dental caries. With no access to dental care and very low oral health literacy, people are living for years with dental pain, which may lead to disfigurement, sepsis, and can sometimes be fatal.
Bridge2Aid aims to change this reality, ensuring that no one suffers in silence.
Bridge2Aid’s approach: training and collaboration
Bridge2Aid is committed to sustainable solutions, working closely with local partners, Ministries, and National Dental Associations to align efforts with national policies.
Many district hospitals have now employed dental therapists, but they are often working in isolation, with no access to training, development, or peer support.
By training local dental therapists, teachers, and community health workers, the charity makes oral health education and treatment accessible where it is needed most. Contributions directly support these essential initiatives.
How to get involved
There are still a few spaces left for dentists and dental care professionals (DCPs) on the October outreach/training programme in the Mwanza region of Tanzania, running from 19th October to 2nd November 2024.
This programme will focus on:
- Screening in primary schools
- Training and up-skilling local dental therapists
- Providing basic dental treatment
- Delivering oral health education
- Post-programme mentoring for dental therapists.
Volunteers are welcome to join for the full two-week programme or for a single week. Additionally, there are upcoming programmes focusing on Oral Health Education (OHE) in February, March and May 2025, as well as further outreach programmes in February and June 2025.
To learn more about volunteering, please contact Annie or Shaenna, or fill in the expression of interest form.
Support the #20FOR20 appeal today
Please do consider donating £20 to the #20FOR20 campaign. To make a difference, simply click here.
Every contribution helps create sustainable, lasting change in the communities that need it most. Together, everyone can ensure a brighter, healthier future for the next 20 years and beyond.
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