Dentistry student Badema Begovic was part of the team that returned smile to children in Tanzania.
Born and raised in Tesanj, Badema, after graduating from high school, enrolled in the Faculty of Dentistry, on the University of Sarajevo. She stated that her life motto is simple: “Learn, explore, be a positive person and an active member of society.” She spends her free time in the company of her beloved ones, and volunteers in several non-governmental organizations.
She proudly stated that she finds happiness in helping others and that she loves animals and taking care of them.
This year, she learned about the Pamoja Project, a campaign to help people in impoverished country of Tanzania and immediately decided to help. As part of a team of dental students from the region and Europe, Badema spent few months in Africa by providing free dental assistance to children.
“Pamoja at Swahili language means “together”. TDSA (Tanzanian Dental Students’ Association) and MUHAS (Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences) together with EDSA (European Dental Students Association) designed a program of preventive dentistry which is being implemented in primary schools in Tanzania. The project has been running for three years. EDSA team consists of eight dental students and eight young dentist. The goal of the project is education in primary schools, and dental treatments that can be implemented in the school setting. EDSA team included colleagues from England, Ireland, Sweden, France, Malta, Ukraine, Polish, Turkish, Croatia and I was from BiH. It was nice to meet colleagues from Europe, their way of life, their practice with patients. We had some free time after work in Bagamoyo, where we had some rest all together, read books, and later exchanged our opinions on them. We discussed possible collaborations, projects. It’s great to meet so active people who motivate you to be more active.”
“Family is very important for people in Tanzania’s. They have low standard of living. People are willing to meet others, they are not closed at all. They are happy when you smile at them and they always return the smile. I was sorry when I see the sadness in Sarajevo, dissatisfaction on the face of my fellow citizens.”
For the end, this young volunteer stated: “Although I previously tried to save water, electricity, to keep the environment, now I’m definitely turning water off, stop eating when I feel full. When we realize that there are people that consider one toothbrush as a true gift, and chocolate and home furnishings with all these windows only imagination. If rain and all weather conditions would be joy and the reason for even greater appreciation, we would be much happier and more fulfilled. I had the opportunity to be there when it’s raining and that joy can be felt only when you are within these people.”
(Source: Nedim Botic/Al Jazeera)
