It is always an honor to serve those that are in need. Once again this year, we had the privilege of being a part of Global Villages Ministries and one of their three Medical / Dental trips to Kenya, Africa. We have come to discover that the Maasai people of the bush near the Maasai Mara National Park are some of the most beautiful people that we have ever met. Everyone waves, smiles and shakes your hand, and is so appreciative of anything.
Our trip started with a delayed flight from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Once we arrived in Detroit, boarded our flight to Amsterdam only to have the pilot turn around and go back to the gate with a problem. Mechanics came on board and an hour later, we taxied back to the runway. Unfortunately, the problem returned, and we went back to the gate. This time, we got off the plane and were informed that a part needed to be flow up from Atlanta, Georgia. We were then scheduled to leave at 3:30 am.
Sleeping on the floor of the Detroit Michigan airport is not really conducive to good sleep and getting up at 3:30 a.m., the flight had been delayed until 5:30. 20 minutes later, the flight was cancelled, and we were rebooked for the next night, arriving in Nairobi 24 hours later. Fortunately, Kim, our trip leader, made arrangements for 4 of us that were delayed, to be driven to Naruk to meet the rest of the team on Saturday morning.
Once we were all together, the 20 of us traveled from paved road, to gravel road, to two tracks, to barely a path in a large safari truck to the Orolorki camp where we set up camp. Our homes for the next 9 days were safari tents. During the night, zebras and an Elland walked thru the camp.
For the next 3 days, we walked to the village of Olorte, Kenya and set up our clinics in the Massai Academy, the local school – medical in one building and dental in another. Adell and I were joined by 3 other dentists – Dr. Enock Rotich (my Kenyan dentist friend), Dr. Greg Sanchez from Albuquerque, Newe Mexico, and Dr. Randy Griffin, of Indiana. It was such a pleasure too because I had worked with Randy on a couple of health fairs and Greg and I have been close friends for 15 years!
Treating The Dental Needs of The People of the Olorte Village (Kenya, Africa)
Many of the people that we treated have their teeth. If there was decay, it was large and the tooth needed to be extracted. The other treatment that was needed was repair of fractured front teeth. We did it all and Adell cleaned teeth.
Walking in the forests to the clinic, was an experience. The sounds of the Kenyan forest were created by a symphony of monkeys, birds, and other wild animals. We watched “safari ants” make their way in trails crossing our paths, monkeys swinging through the trees, and Maasai children taking care of their families cattle. At night, the Eland was found lying in the middle of our camp waiting for a scratch behind the ears.
Our evenings were spent around the campfire enjoying the company of new friends from Colorado, Ontario, and Washington.
Global Villages Ministries owns a home, the Omalaika Home on the outskirts of the Mara. Unfortunately, one of the traditions of the Maasai tribal people is female circumcision. It is a mark of a young child becoming a man, but creates serious problems in child birth, etc. The currency of the Maasai is cows, and young girls are sold in childhood marriage to raise “money” for their families. The purpose of the “O Home” is to rescue young girls facing childhood marriage and circumcision and give them an education until they are 18. At that time, they are free to make decisions that are in their best interests.
There are 38 girls in the home ranging in age from 7 – 18 and they are being raised very much in their Maasai culture.
Our passion has become to support this ministry and help those that cannot help themselves.
About Robin P. Steely DDS and Our Battle Creek Practice
Choosing a dentist and a dental health care team is an important decision for you and your family. We understand that choosing the right coaches will make the difference between wellness and disease management.
My Passion is Oral Fitness Coaching – partnering with people who wish to transform the quality of their lives and pursue a lifetime of health and wellness. By uniquely wrapping our minds, our hands and our hearts around a process of co-discovery, co-design, and co-creation, we become a conduit for transforming your health into Oral Fitness For Life™.
We are a patient-focused dental practice that offers a multitude of services featuring lifestyle dentistry and holistic approaches. Lifestyle Dentistry offers proactive wellness guidance in order to reduce the amount of dentistry you’ll need over your lifetime. Our comprehensive approach evaluates all the various factors that affect your dental health. Our main focus is to guarantee that our practice is a safe space for you, resolving any of your fears or negative thoughts associated with the dentist office.
Our Lifestyle Dentistry services at our dental office in Battle Creek, MI include Cosmetic Dentistry, BioRejuvenation Dentistry, Restorative Care, Orofacial & TMJ/TMD care, Dental Implants, Sedation Dentistry, Dental Fitness Plans, Master Planning, Mercury-Free Dentistry, Nutrition counseling and Healthy Living guidance. We invite you to spend some time to clearly define what you want by perusing our website and learning about how our patients feel about us and where we can partner with you to improve your life. We look forward to the opportunity to welcome you to our family.
Contact Us Today!
Dr. Robin Steely and our dental team are committed to providing exceptional Dentistry care and empowering our patients with information about their dental health. If you have any questions about our dental services or would like to schedule an appointment, we invite you to give us a call at 269-968-8151. The outstanding experience of our Dentist Dr. Robin Steely, and the skills of our staff have helped us in successfully treating oral problems in our patients who visit us from different parts of Battle Creek, MI, Marshall, Kalamazoo, Hastings, Charlotte, Portage, Holland, Coldwater, Richland, Springfield, and Grand Rapids.
