Hello, my name is Zarah and I am a dentist.

This September I will be volunteering my time and skills in Lesvos, Greece with Crisis Management Association, CMA (https://crisismanagementassociation.com/) to treat asylum seekers and refugees fleeing war and persecution.

What I will be doing

I will be providing much needed emergency dental care such as removal of teeth and basic routine treatment to the refugees and asylum seekers from 9th to 13th September 2024. I will also be participating in preventative oral health sessions mostly with children to raise awareness and to deliver oral hygiene instructions.

How your donations will be used

My volunteering trip is entirely self-funded but any donation that you provide will assist me in:

1. Purchasing essential dental materials which are urgently needed at the clinic from the UK to take with me. These materials are difficult to source in Lesvos and currently low in stock. The clinic often relies on international volunteers to keep stocks replenished and by having enough of such vital materials at hand, I will ensure that I can help as many people as possible and make this volunteering trip truly count

2. Raising money to buy toothbrushes for children as part of kits that I will be assembling beforehand to distribute at the preventative oral hygiene sessions

3. Providing a donation directly to CMA. CMA relies completely on such generous contributions to run their two surgery clinic and pay for the salary of their staff, tools and material. This ensures that CMA can continue their valuable work in the foreseeable future and sustain this charitable operation

Why this cause is close to my heart

It has always been my intention to give back in any way I can. As a dentist, I am in an incredibly fortunate position to have developed the skills to relieve someone’s pain fairly quickly and simply. This, of course, is what I do as my everyday job. Being given the opportunity to provide such care to people who have been forced to flee their own country though is even more special to me. Many of us can relate to the agony of toothache and know how debilitating this can be, I just can’t imagine what it must feel like to experience toothache in a completely foreign country and not knowing who can help. I would like to do all I can to help them.

If you know me, you may know how passionate I get about prevention and I cannot wait to get out there and raise awareness on this matter. By simply providing the asylum seekers and refugees with everyday items we take for granted like toothbrushes, there is great potential to positively improve oral health.

I have chosen to work with CMA because of their collaborative approach which promotes mutual economic integration by providing paid jobs to Greek healthcare works, refugees and asylum seekers and empowering both groups to take a leading role in their operation. This to me is sustainability at its very core.

Any amount that you generously contribute will be extremely appreciated and has the power to change peoples’ lives. Please help me to help them and to make my vision for this trip a reality.

I will keep you updated on this page and on my Instagram page @seoulfull_star so you are able to see how the money raised is being used and so that you can concretely see how your generosity is truly making a difference every step of the way.

All my love,

Zarah