Quarterly report – 2Q2019
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Gyumri «SOAR» charitable dental clinic
Quarterly report – 1Q2019
"Smiling Teeth, Smiling Child"
SOAR DENTAL CLINIC THANKS YOU FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE HEALTH OF THE CHILDREN IN ARMENIA!
Providing quality dental care to the institutionalized and otherwise underprivileged children is at the heart of SOAR’s dental campaign.
In the footsteps of inspiring acts of advocacy and giving, let's make our lives meaningful by making a greater impact on the lives of others.
Submitted by Kohar Mardirossian Pelter and George Yacoubian Jr. -Project leaders
Throughout 2018, SOAR Dental Care program at OLA, in Gyumri, continued to provide preventative and therapeutic dental care to impoverished and orphaned children of Gyumri and the surrounding communities and institutions. Providing dental care program sends a message that oral health is very important for health and well beign and it is to be valued.
Taking into consideration that State-supported dental service is no longer free of charge for kids, the role of SOAR dental clinic in the community is of the utmost importance in providing primary care and in keeping the children’s teeth healthy. It is also essential in the prevention and/ or treatment of early onset of tooth decay, tooth loss, and subsequent gum and oral diseases. The dental clinic, as needed, also provides toothbrush and toothpaste, necessary vitamins that help kids to have healthy tooth and gums. The main component of the program is the education of the public and children on their oral hygiene, how to clean their teeth and for regular check-ups by the dentist.
In September 2018, the SOAR Dental Care staff conducted visits to remote village areas, organized examination of the children's teeth for dental problems and set up appointments. Also, a preliminary visit to “Trchunyan Home” orphanage was carried out resulting in the creation of a schedule of dental care visits to that facility. Since the facility is about 8 km away from the Dental clinic, SOAR will also provide full transportation to the children for their regular visits.
SOAR Dental Clinic also hosted, in its ongoing partnership with Fresno Medical Mission Armenia Program, Dr. Ronald Sunny and his wife Michel Sunny from October 1 to October 4 of 2018.
SOAR Dental Care program has had a great impact for the children of Armenia. The total number for children treated in 2018 is 617 children from orphanages, child protection services, day care institutions and impoverished families at risk. The program's target population of the clinic is children from Gyumri social centers, boarding schools and orphanages but because the other clinics are private and people cannot afford the cost of dental care, SOAR has also treated many children from different communities, schools and surrounding villages. These children are from families who receive monthly government support and poverty benefits.
In 2019, SOAR Dental Care program will also reach out to the most vulnerable neighboring villages where there is no dental care available for the population.The first targeted villages will include: Akhurik, Arapi, Voskehask, Haykavan and Gharibjanyan.
In addition, there has been an urgent need to treat children with special needs (Down syndrome, cerebral palsy etc.) who would require general anesthesia for any dental procedures and treatments. However, since SOAR dental clinic does not provide general anesthesia in its clinic, an agreement has been reached with “Beglarian Dental Service” in Yerevan and with Dr. Astine Hakobyan to refer these children for evaluation and treatments.
Visiting dentists who have volunteered at the clinic, offer the children the chance to have all the dental treatment they need – including cleanings, x-rays and filling (for cavities), provision of vitamins and supplements necessary for gum and enamel health. However, with the increased number of children and families seeking to receive treatments at the clinic, there has been the overwhelming need for a permanent dentist to provide professional services at the clinic. This makes the role of "SOAR Dental Care Program" Armenia's institutions and villages, very crucial for the most disadvantaged children and families in these communities! To continue our efforts in reaching out to the poor and the orphaned children, WE NEED YOUR HELP! You can help make a difference and change the course of this endemic crisis! The funds will be used to obtain equipment, materials and other much needed operational items.
We THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for your past support of 2018 and which has made it possible for Armenia’s orphans to receive regular, oral health screenings and treatment by qualified dental health professionals. You made it possible to build and operate the dental clinics in Gyumri, Tsaghgadzor, and remote regions of Armenia!
We are grateful for generous donors like you. No amount is too small. Imagine what your continued support can bring to the poorest populations in Armenia!
In this Holiday Season, give what you can to relieve pain and suffering and to foster a smile on the faces of the less fortunate!Together, we are making a difference! Your tax-deductible donations are accepted through the Global Giving Dental Care Campaign for Orphans (https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/dental-care-clinics-for-orphans-in-armenia).
"Smiling Teeth, Smiling Child"
SOAR DENTAL CLINIC: Gyumri, Ani District & OLA Tsaghgadzor Summer Camp August, 2018
Providing quality dental care to the institutionalized and otherwise underprivileged children is at the heart of SOAR’s dental campaign.
In the footsteps of inspiring acts of advocacy and giving, let's make our lives meaningful by making a greater impact on the lives of others.
Submitted by Kohar Mardirossian Pelter and George Yacoubian Jr. -Project leaders
On July 15, 2018, Our Lady of Armenia summer camp in Tsaghgadzor celebrated its 25 years of helping orphaned, needy and destitute children in physical, psychosocial and education needs. But it was in 2016 that thanks to SOAR sponsored dental clinic much awareness was raised and support for the dental care for the children; an aspect of healthcare that has not been in focus has been provided.
“SOAR Dental Care Program" was extended in 2016, to the Our Lady of Armenia summer camp in the Tsaghgadzor mountains where each year from July till end of September over 815 children are gathered from the poorest villages and regions of Armenia, the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) and Southern Georgia (Javakh) to receive adequate nutrition, hygiene, medicine and medical exams (including vaccinations), summer recreational activities, rest and especially dental care. In 2017, 95 children from the Tashir region which is one of the poorest regions in Armenia were also brought to Tsaghgadzor to receive SOAR dental care. Dental services have been offered by the caring and professional work of volunteer dentists from Paris-UMAF (France) and SOAR (USA). These special volunteers worked tirelessly to treat the children who come to the camp or to the OLA based clinics to get dental screening, and treatments.
Taking into consideration that State-supported dental service is no longer free of charge for kids, the role of SOAR dental clinic in the community is of the utmost importance in providing primary care and in keeping the children’s teeth healthy. It is also essential in the prevention and/ or treatment of early onset tooth decay, tooth loss, and subsequent gum and oral diseases. This summer, 330 children attending the OLA camp have received dental health screening, care and education by dentists who volunteered at the camp from different international and local medical institutions.
The professional team from France UMAF consisted of dentists: Drs. Georges Aboulian, Georges Mosditchian, Jean-Michel Bonvarlet, Jean-Pierre Kibarian, Emmanuel Boyadjian and Apraham Garabedian. This is the 3rd year that they volunteering at the camp and providing best dental care for the camp children who are coming from various residential institutions and vulnerable families all over Armenia.
Also, joining the international team were two new young dentists from "Astghik" medical center in Yerevan are Drs. Anahit Vardanyan and Aram Avetisyan, who came to volunteer at the camp.
OLA Gyumri clinic continued to provide dental care from June- August, recessing for the Tsaghgadzor summer camp. 53 children received dental support at the Gyumri Dental care clinic. The children were mainly from day care centers and disadvantaged families of the community.
In July, 2018, Satenik Hovhannisyan, a student from Kanaker Center who is specializing in Erebuni Dental College was awarded a tuition sponsorship through SOAR sponsorship program started to practice in Gyumri clinic. The new working session of SOAR Gyumri dental clinic will start in the middle of September, when children are back to boarding facilities, center and institutions. The dental nurse will set up individual appointments with institutions and follow with the list of appointments.
In addition, another plan has been developed to start in September 2018. Gyumri dental staff will conduct visits to remote village areas, to organize examination of the children's dental problems and organize appointments for them.
Visiting dentists who have volunteered at the clinic, offer the children the chance to have all the dental treatment they need – including cleanings, x-rays and filling (for cavities), provision of vitamins and supplements necessary for gum and enamel health. However, with the increased number of children and families seeking to receive treatments at the clinic, there has been the overwhelming need for a permanent dentist to provide professional services at the clinic. This makes the role of "SOAR Dental Care Program" in Tsaghgadzor and Gyumri very crucial for the most disadvantaged children and families in these communities! To continue our efforts in reaching out to the poor and the orphaned children, WE NEED YOUR HELP! You can help make a difference and change the course of this endemic crisis! The funds will be used to obtain equipment, materials and other much needed operational items.
Your past support has made it possible for Armenia’s orphans and elderly to receive regular, oral health screenings and treatment by qualified dental health professionals. You made it possible to build and operate the dental clinics in Gyumri, Tsaghgadzor, and remote regions of Armenia!
We are grateful for generous donors like you. No amount is too small. Imagine what your continued support can bring to the poorest populations in Armenia! Give what you can to relieve pain and suffering and to foster a smile on the faces of the less fortunate!
Together, we are making a difference!
Your tax-deductible donations are accepted through the Global Giving Dental Care Campaign for Orphans. (http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/dental-care-clinics-for-orphans-in-armenia).
"Smiling Teeth, Smiling Child"
SOAR DENTAL CLINIC
Gyumri, Ani District & OLA Tsaghgadzor Summer Camp
Providing quality dental care to the institutionalized and otherwise underprivileged children is at the heart of SOAR’s dental campaign.
In the footsteps of inspiring acts of advocacy and giving, let's make our lives meaningful by making a greater impact on the lives of others.
SOAR Dental Clinic in Gyumri, fully operational, staffed with permanent staff and volunteers are serving the children of Gyumri!
Submitted by Kohar Mardirossian Pelter and George Yacoubian Jr. -Project leaders
In 2015, after an in-depth research, SOAR recognized the overwhelming and prevalent conditions of severe poverty and lack of any dental care in Gyumri and other remote regions of Armenia. Malnourishment, poor social conditions, genetic factors affecting child development and stress can cause issues with the development of teeth and bone, all of which is prevalent in this region. SOAR began building a Dental Clinic on the premises of Our Lady of Armenia Center, to provide free dental care to all of Gyumri. Thanks to GlobalGiving Campaigns and its kind supporters, that dream came true in March of 2016. The dental clinic has been providing consultations, fillings, removal of tarter, treatment of cavities through the infiltration method, as well as the removal and treatment with orthodontics free of charge and open to the public since its start.
Visiting dentists who have volunteered at the clinic, offered the children the chance to have all the dental treatment they need – including cleanings, x-rays and filling (for cavities), provision of vitamins and supplements necessary for gum and enamel health. However, with the increased number of children and families seeking to receive treatments at the clinic, there has been the overwhelming need for a permanent dentist to provide professional services at the clinic.
We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Lora Amatuni has joined SOAR Dental Clinic. She is specialized in pediatrics dentistry and has worked at several dental polyclinics. In addition, SOAR has been able to staff the clinic with auxiliary dental care personnel, assistants and support staff. SOAR's current dental team constitutes of Dr. Lora Amatuni, dental assistant - Emma Hakobyan, administrative assistant - Tatev Tumasyan, volunteer and dental student -Satenik Sargsyan.
Since March 2018, SOAR Gyumri Dental Clinic at the Our Lady of Armenia Center, has provided services to 90 children from neighboring orphanages, day care and boarding facilities. Many families from the community in need of dental are registering on a monthly basis. The dental clinic staff is also conducting seminars to educate and provide preventative measures for proper dental treatment and protection of teeth in different communities and facilities. Seminars have already been scheduled at 3 day care centers where kids attend from disadvantaged communities and vulnerable families. During the seminars, dental care products such as brushes and toothpaste are going to be handed out to the children to help them achieve continued dental hygiene.
Concurrently, SOAR Dental Clinic at the Our Lady of Armenia (OLA) Summer Camp in the mountains of Tsaghgadzor, will host 800 children from different orphanages of Armenia in June of 2018. SOAR Dental Care Program" was extended to the summer camp in 2016 where each year children are gathered from the orphanages, the poorest villages and regions of Armenia, the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) and Southern Georgia (Javakh) to receive adequate nutrition, hygiene, medicine and medical exams (including vaccinations), summer recreational activities, rest and especially dental care. These children will have an opportunity to receive dental care support at the camp. This year, SOAR board member and volunteer Dr. Ross Norian will visit camp in the summer and provide dental services to the kids.
This makes the role of "SOAR Dental Care Program" in Tsaghgadzor and Gyumri very crucial for the most disadvantaged children and families in these communities! To continue our efforts in reaching out to the poor and the orphaned children, WE NEED YOUR HELP! You can help make a difference and change the course of this endemic crisis! The funds will be used to obtain equipment, materials and other much needed operational items.
Your past support has made it possible for Armenia’s orphans and elderly to receive regular, oral health screenings and treatment by qualified dental health professionals. You made it possible to build and operate the dental clinics in Gyumri, Tsaghgadzor, and remote regions of Armenia!
We are grateful for generous donors like you. No amount is too small. Imagine what your continued support can bring to the poorest populations in Armenia! Give what you can to relieve pain and suffering and to foster a smile on the faces of the less fortunate!
Together, we are making a difference! Your tax-deductible donations are accepted through the Global Giving Dental Care Campaign for Orphans (https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/dental-care-clinics-for-orphans-in-armenia)
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