December 2013
Dear All
Just to update you on work done and in progress!
Report of Trip to Pakistan
I left Walsall loaded with 4 heart monitor machines and an eye testing machine weighing in total 39.5 kg and some T shirts donated from New Horizons in Walsall. With a maximum of 40 kg luggage allowance.. very little left to pack even a spare pair of socks…
Arrived in Islamabad ( all fares and visas costs of course paid for by myself and not the charity) to be greeted by a customs official who was holding up a sign with my name on it …the special treatment here was of the friendly nature… whisking past the long queues to emerge out side in less than 3 minutes…
I then spent the next 10 days achieving quite a lot for the people of Gurjrat district of Punjab.
- visited 9 very large schools and so addressed school assemblies in total over 7000 children under the age of 10 showing them correct tooth brushing technique and sound diet advice to reduce the risk of dental caries….
- examined the mouths of around 1500 children and made a simple decayed teeth count of each child.
- distributed 1500 free toothpaste/toothbrush kits donated by Colgate Pakistan who also sent along a rep from Lahore
- did dental assessments on all the patients ( 150) who came for the free cleft lip and palate camp and put into place a Pakistani lady dentist who has taken to this role of dental health education and dental assessments very enthusiastically. and better still speaks Urdu!
- addressed the teachers in the schools and those in what we could describe as community health workers in the community about the importance of effective tooth cleaning and a healthy diet and asked that they repeat this on a regular basis. There is much evidence that babies are given extra sugar in their feeds and the use of dummies dipped in honey appears widespread with devastating effects on the erupting baby teeth.
- the count of decayed teeth revealed that over 20 % of children examined had a decay count of 5 or more.
- put into place a recall system for past cleft lip patients who can then have updated records taken of photos, impressions for study models along with tooth brushing and good diet instruction.
- had a long session with the director of Smile train for that part of the world ( Smile train funds cleft operations as a worldwide charity) and got their agreement to fund this dental assessment and re- assessment programme which was greatly welcomed by those visiting cleft surgeons from UK. If their patients do not look after their teeth the final cosmetic result will be seriously compromised.
- planned supply of a mobile dental x ray unit and digital reader which will allow these records to be held on computer and advice on further dental care such as possible simple orthodontics could be made available from experts in the UK.
- visited and was welcomed to the free eye camp we had set up where over 100 patients blinded by cataracts had their operation and was able to capture that precious moment on tape when their bandages were removed and they could see again after so many years, see their children and of course able to look after them and themselves in the future.
- welcomed by a scout based school who heard I was in town who assembled in their courtyard… all 500 of them in uniform … inaugurated me as an honorary member of the Pakistani scout movement and clapped and saluted me as I went in to meet the headmaster.
- one day was a national holiday to mark the death of a martyr but one school of over 1000 children opened up specially to welcome me again with the specially painted village streets lined with children who clapped and showered me with rose petals plus the traditional welcome of a bunch of roses and a special cake.
- I did do some dentistry with supply of obturators ( simple dental plate to cover hole in palate so that the patient can talk and eat properly) to those adults whose palatal deficiency too large for repair. I also completed in theatre some extractions on patients after the cleft surgeons had completed their work using the same general anaesthetic.
- I had taken 50 or so letters from 2 schools in Walsall where I am on the Governing body. These were welcomed with great enthusiasm by the children in Pakistan who wrote over 100 replies immediately and these have now been delivered to the Walsall schools… some beautiful work in pictures and sentiments… when I return in February the number of replies will escalate and will go some way to promote greater understanding between young people here and those in Pakistan combating the often distorted view that comes out of the newspapers. I hope that thsi time I will persuade the new Governor Sarwar ( ex MP for Glasgow) of Punjab to visit our projects in Gurjrat... when I spoke to him he was very interested inour work.
I returned without problem to Walsall reflecting on the kindness and friendships given to me and their genuine gratitude to those who want to help their fellow human beings who were all created equal in the sight of God but circumstances now dictate a life of great inequality.
Thank you all for your continued support for Oak Tree Trust. Other acheivements this year are :
Have put my fund raising efforts in helping to organise as a team the Mayor of Walsall's charity appeal for this year. My colleague Cllr Nazir has chosen the hospice movement here in Walsall and my co charity Midlands International Aid Trust with whom I work as a very close partner... Muslim based with Oak Tree with a more christian base . Total raised here together as a team for the Mayor's charity stands at over £62000 for the past 6 months.
We have this last year sent as a team, direct relief to the refugees just across the border from Turkey in Syria.. here contributed to getting in a convoy of over 250 tons of food supplies over the border into Syria. We also supplied the flood victims direct in northen India in Utterkand via a colleague whose relatives live in the area.
Sent a 40 ft container of mostly medical aid to a very poor part of Jamaica
Sent two 40 ft containers of medical aid to the free hospital in Gurjrat Pakistan which we are assisting in building.
Again thanks for your support in one way or another in 2013 and hopefully 2014 will be also very successful inshallah! In the meantime Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
regards
Ian
