Dentists

Amazon-Africa Aid works in partnership with Fundação Esperança, a Brazilian nonprofit organization that has been providing health and education to the people of the Amazon for over 30 years. The Bill Chase Dental Clinic was named in honor of the founder and chairman of Amazon-Africa Aid.

Every year, volunteer dentists from around the world join with local dentists and hygienists to provide quality care to the needy in the region. Services include restorations, extractions, root canals, and x-rays. In addition, the dental clinic performs thousands of prophylactic visits, fluoride applications, and sealants. In an average year, the dental team will perform over 26,000 procedures.

Even though Santarém is a tropical paradise, the majority of the people live in abject poverty. Poverty and the problems associated with poverty such as poor health, nutrition, and dental hygiene are prevalent throughout Santarém and its surrounding regions.

Dental Services: Dental volunteers provide general dental care to patients in our six-chair, air-conditioned dental clinic. The clinic is equipped with hydraulic chairs and Adec front delivery units. The units have air, water, suction, one high speed (Midwest Quietaire) and one low speed (Midwest Shorty). Trained Brazilian hygienists and assistants, many of whom speak English, help the volunteers and Amazon-Africa Aid /Fundação Esperança's full-time Brazilian dentists. In addition to the care they provide to the patients, volunteers provide valuable interchange with local staff, giving them an opportunity to improve their skills in this isolated region. Dental volunteers may choose to bring equipment and supplies that they prefer.

General Physicians, Pediatricians, Family Practitioners

Unfortunately, we are currently not accepting volunteer physicians while we renegotiate an agreement with the Brazilian Medical Council which will allow volunteers to practice medicine under Brazilian Law. If you email your address, we will keep you in our database and keep you informed when new volunteer opportunities arise.

Other

Amazon-Africa Aid can often use ophthalmologists, surgeons, dermatologists, and other specialists. Please contact our office for more details. Unfortunately, we cannot take radiologists, anesthesiologists, or osteopathic physicians.

Location

The Fundação Esperança Clinic is located in Santarém, Brazil, where the dark blue waters of the Tapajós flow into the muddy brown waters. Pink and gray dolphins play off the shores as exotic birds fly overhead. A city of 250,000 people, Santarém is a true melting pot of Native American, African, European, and Asian cultures and customs, but it is 100% Brazilian. Samba and Boi Bumba music fill the air and the hearts of the people.

Housing

Volunteers stay at our dormitory. There are ten rooms; a bathroom is shared between two rooms. Amazon-Africa Aid /Fundação Esperança will provide three meals a day except on Sundays (volunteers usually spend Sunday at the beach). Fish is the main dish both in the Esperança kitchen and in restaurants; however, chicken and meat are served regularly. While tropical fruit is common, vegetables are not. If you have any special dietary needs, please let us know, and we will try to accommodate you as best we can.

Work Hours

The clinic is open Monday through Friday. The work day normally is 8:00 -11:30 and 1:30-5:30. On weekends, arrangements can be made to go for a boat ride down the Amazon, hike in the jungle, visit the beach, or a variety of other activities.
Depending on the schedule, Amazon-Africa Aid and Fundação Esperança also send volunteer medical teams (sorry no dentists) 30 hours by boat to the Quilombo villages. These trips usually last 5 days. Volunteers sleep in hammocks on a boat. The teams see about 100 patients a day.

Length of Stay

The minimum length of stay is two weeks. Most volunteers stay four weeks.

Cost

Volunteers will need to make their own arrangements for transportation to and from Santarém. Volunteers will also need to pay for their own visa. Amazon-Africa Aid will cover the cost of food, lodging, laundry, and airport transfers in Santarém for the volunteer. Donations to cover this cost are greatly appreciated. If you are a Rotarian, your room and board and travel may be covered by Rotary International. Please contact our office for more details.

Spouses and Children

Spouses are welcome and often asked to volunteer to teach English as a second language to our staff and students. Our clinic and dormitory is a professional facility and not an appropriate place for children.