Falmouth family returns from Kenya dental trip
A family from Falmouth has been sharing its experiences of charity work in Kenya after returning from the African country.
Andrew Ridout, a dentist, his wife, Lisa, a dental nurse, and their teenage daughter, Georgie, visited Kenya with Smile Star. The family travelled to rural villages in Kenya as part of a 2-week project to provide basic dental care. The team was based close to the Serengeti, and during their time, they managed to treat more than 1,000 people.
Dr Ridout and his wife were eager to support the charity after meeting its founder, Dr Mitesh Badiani, a few years ago. Since they heard about the ventures in Kenya, they have visited twice, but this is the first time they have taken Georgie with them.
Dr Badiani set Smile Star up in 2010 with the aim of providing dental treatment to people living in remote villages in Africa and India, as well as ex-Marines residing in the UK.
Andrew noticed that there was a surge in interest this time around, and said that word must have spread since he last visited. During the first part of the trip, Andrew and the team were stationed at a hospital in Mweiga and they moved to the rural villages of the Serengeti for the second half. They tended to around 130 people per day, and removed more than 200 teeth every day.
Access to dental care in Kenya is poor, with only one dentist for every 44,000 people. This is a stark contrast to the UK, where the ratio is 1:1560.
Andrew commented that the experience was tough, with very long days as standard, but also hugely rewarding. One woman he treated had been suffering from toothache for more than three years, but she couldn’t afford to see a dentist. Being able to rid her from pain was incredibly satisfying. Georgie became an honorary assistant for the trip, checking patients’ blood pressure and assisting her parents. She said the trip was an amazing experience, not just because she got to see what a difference the charity makes to people, but also because the family enjoyed some amazing wildlife spotting adventures too.
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