Tuesday, June 1, 2010

El Salvador trip

Finally, after weeks of riding, fundraising and planning, I made my first trip to El Salvador on March 1, 2010. The purpose of this trip was to: a) find a bicycle vendor and figure out pricing, volume and delivery terms, b) to visit the school in Barahona where the bikes would be delivered, meet the principal and develop a plan for disseminating the bicycles, and c) meet with a local dentist to talk about an additional idea of educating the people on the importance of dnetal care. This last item stemmed from an observation of the poor conditions of people's teeth in Barahona. Most people have never seen a dentist, nor practice regular dental hygiene. Conditions ranged from poor hygiene, severe cavities, to more severe dental structural issues. The idea was to: a) help people with the most addresable dental needs, b) set up a meeting to educate the importance of dental hygiene and of preventative care, c) collect and provide toothbrushes and toothpaste for the community.....