Daniel Rodrigues and his brother, Michael, undergraduate dental students at the Adventist College of Bahia (FABDA), had a desire in common: to use the knowledge they received in dental school to help those who are socially vulnerable and do not have access to basic health care.
"I was already looking for a project that could help mainly children. By coincidence, my father knows the leader of an NGO [non-governmental organization] in Lebanon. A friend of mine, from the United States, was also going there in the middle of the year, so we put everything together, and I finally managed to spend a month with my brother on the project," says Daniel.
The NGO helped by the students is called WINNERS and has been active in Lebanon for two years. There, refugee children have the opportunity to participate in English, computer, sewing, music, and soccer classes while also receiving transportation so they can attend formal school. In addition, another goal of the project is to send young people to study for degrees at universities around the world.
Considering the fragile situation and the little access to basic health conditions and information, Daniel (fourth period of dentistry) and Michael (tenth period of dentistry) decided to dedicate their vacations to the project. It was a month of hard work examining, lecturing, and teaching the children about oral hygiene and brushing. In addition, they gave each one of them a toothbrush and toothpaste.
Transformation of Lives
For Daniel, this experience was unique: "It is an honor to be part of this project. What they have done is incredible. We always hear about NGOs like this, but only when I was there did I realize that their reality is something completely different from anything I have ever experienced. Working with these children and having the opportunity to help them changed my life. It is so rewarding that it is impossible to explain in words. When you see the children looking at you—how they tell you they love you—you see that they are pure and that they really need help. That to me is the most rewarding thing there is. Being part of this project was one of the best choices I made in my life.”
The WINNERS project already has many fruits, whether in Lebanon or even here in Brazil. It is through this organization that a young woman is attending college here in Brazil. Three other young people are also being sent to other universities around the world.
The original article was published on the South American Division Portuguese-language news site.