KINDNESS IN ACTION

From the very beginning, it has seemed like this organization has had a life and will of its own. Now in our sixteenth year, I am continually humbled and in awe of how a good thing can keep getting better. Thanks to a steadily growing support and volunteer base, we have gone from "doing what we can with what we have" to "doing more than anyone could have imagined".

Twelve dental projects were completed in eight countries: increasingly we are working at the community level, with local dental personnel and schools, emphasizing education and prevention. Our community based prevention program was translated and is being used in three languages. Portable dental units were left behind in Peru and Honduras for the local dentists who worked with us, enhancing their ability to provide care. We remain a resource for many others doing similar work, sharing our equipment, supplies and experience.

More than ever, we are going beyond dentistry. Our networking partnerships were strengthened and continue to grow along with us. Working with Change For Children and Tsunami Haven, we funded the construction of primary schools in Nicaragua and Sri Lanka. A generous grant from Tides Canada Foundation meant more scholarships for young girls in Guatemala. In El Remate, Guatemala, Ix Canaan's medical/computer facility was upgraded and more training provided. We were able to support a Rotary International rainwater collection initiative in Chisec, Guatemala. We continue to leave behind donations of school supplies and were able to fund a primary school teacher through Cimientos De Educacion in Xix, Guatemala for at least another year.

All of this was accomplished in a year where international volunteering has come into question in the dental media. Dentistry remains first and foremost a helping profession. With no illusions about what effect we are having on the big picture, our board and members overwhelmingly reaffirmed our commitment to serving those with less and making a difference in our own way. It is not just in the doing, but the way it is being done. Leaving the comfort zone of our North American cocoons to work from the heart is, for most, a transformational and life changing experience and arguably the most important thing we do. We enter 2006 determined, optimistic and grateful for the opportunity to serve.

Dr. Amil Shapka