Dental Mission January 9-13, 2012. "Svanen" Dental Clinic from Lyngby (Copenhagen) joined us for a 5 days mission and treated 503 patients! Well done!

Periodically, it rained heavily. It was good the rain had stopped when we went for a walk through the "residential" area.

Those SMILES! It was so touching!

The children were having fun seeing all the foreigners walk through their area and taking photos. Filipinos love photo-taking!

And what about a playground like this one?

Residents from the rubbish dump waiting in line for treatment

The 2 last days, the dental clinic was set up at a school for the Badjao population in the slums of Alaska Mambaling. Here some of the team are looking out from 2nd floor to watch the people in the "village".

Many got their front teeth fixed

Mars and Johnny are a big part of our work here in Cebu. They are two talented boys who love to learn. Mars has learned how to make dentures, and Johnny is learning technical stuff

It takes a lot of concentration to get a denture just right

Before...

...and after. It makes a big difference in a young person's life

This little girl already had a bad infection, so she was given free antibiotics. Marie also gave her a toothbrush from 3DP - Steka Reklame A/S, who sponsored 10.000 children's toothbrushes. Everyone were given a toothbrush, and the rest will be distributed in needy areas to help improve the dental health in Cebu

The dental team worked hard to treat as many patients as possible - and the documentary team watched constantly to make sure they got to record some good stories to tell

Dr. Per and his assistant, Birgitte treating a patient from the rubbish dump

The dental team did fundraising for their trip, and brought with them a good amount of materials from companies who donated toward the dental mission. Flemming and Elisabet Hansen worked on getting it all organized for the Dental Mission that started Monday morning. We want to express our gratefulness! You are helping us make a big difference!

Before the team started, they had to get acquainted with what kind of medicines, materials and instruments were available

This is how the clinic is set up. Everyone are working well together, and there was plenty to do for everyone

Mercedes, a 32 years old woman had 5 teeth removed, including two of her front teeth. Mars from Rise Above Cebu and Birthe made a small denture with 2 teeth to replace the front teeth she lost

No wonder Mercedes is smiling. Not only was she rid of her pain, she also received the artificial teeth that again made her feel like a beautiful woman

Mercedes together with the two technicians who made her new teeth - Mars and Britt

Lone, far left is volunteering with Rise Above for 6 months, and Lene are visiting for 3 weeks. They worked at the sterilization area, seeing to that all the instruments were washed and sterilized before being returned to the trays

Dr. Camilla and her assistant, Michelle worked hard to treat as many patients as possible

Dr. Per with his assistant Dorte together with two of the teachers from Cebu Missionary Foundation and the mother, all tried to encourage this little 5 year old girl to open her mouth for treatment, but she plainly refused. They will return again tomorrow. Maybe she will let the dentist extract her tooth. We'll see. It was filmed by Victor, who is one of a team of 3 that's working on making a documentary on the work the dentists from Denmark are doing here in Cebu.

The children are so brave. Only very few have cried. This girl is playing with Joe the Rabbit, who was here to cheer up a lot of kids, while she is waiting for treatment.

Marie visited the Baclaan family in their "house" to give them their Christmas gifts in the form of 1 sack of rice, canned goods, coffee, milk powder, toilet paper, soaps etc.

Mars is working for the foundation, and he is a great help - it seems so easy for him to carry a 50 kilo sack of rice - and even smiling!!

Eljen and Tawie Mag-aso and their family received the bundles of joy at Umapad rubbish dump

Felicidad and her two children live at the vegetable market where they sell vegetables to make enough money for food. Since they don't have electricity, the children study in the evening by the light from the trucks that come into the market with fruits and vegetables.

A picture tells a thousand words! The happiness radiates from this family after they received their gifts.

Again this year, our kids, who have now turned into teens, did their puppet show again in institutions for handicapped and abandoned children.

Many groups contacted us as they wanted to give of their abundance to make Christmas special for the poor. Here is a team from the British Telecoms' Call Center in Cebu who brought food and gifts in the form of school materials for 300 children

The building of our Rise Above Community Center is progressing, and Timex Philippines moved in just before Christmas and started on the construction of the medical/dental clinic

Juliette is Marites' friend, and they studied together. Juliette was born with 1 1/2 leg, and had the crippled leg amputated so she could get an artificial leg and learn to walk. Because of poverty, the quality of the leg is very bad, and it gives her constant pain. Marites requested we help Juliette by fundraising for her to get a proper artificial leg. We have already raised US$ 900. A new leg costs between US$ 1050-1500. We would like to get her the best, so that she will not have to suffer anymore. Can you help?

Between Christmas and New Year, Flemming, Elisabet and their two children, Suzy (21) and Johnny (15) took a trip up to the north of the island to visit a livelihood project where they focus on goat raising. We wanted to share a photo of the beautiful scenery - all lush and green and very fertile. It rains 10 months out of the year (with lots of sunny days in between) causing everything to grow effortlessly. In the front, the farmer had just harvested sugarcane.

Suzy, Abigail, Einar, Marie and Aida - ready for the trip to share "bundles of joy" to the poor.

This is the family of one of our sponsor children (front). They have no water or electricity in their house. Being unemployed, he father gathers sand from the river to earn a little bit for their family. Receiving the care packages made a big difference for them.

Thank you Mars for helping us carry the heavy sacks of rice!

Peregrina is a single mother with 7 children. Some of her children receive sponsorship for education. They were so thankful for the Care packages they received. The sack of rice will carry them over the holidays and well into January.

Peregrina received training for the bag making program, and has become one of the best ones to weave the bags. Making bags is her only source of income, so she is working hard to earn for her family.

Per gives Jeanrey's family a Christmas gift every year, and here Marie is delivering the donation to Jeanrey and his mother

Jeanrey was very proud when he came to show us all his medals.

It is impressive to see Jeanrey with all his medals. Jeanrey comes from a very poor family. Without the sponsorship from Dr. Per, this boy would not have had a chance to show what he is capable of. We are so happy to have been the ones that helped him on the way to a brighter future.

Jeanrey showing us his diplomas

Kenny putting his all into building the wall. Thanks Kenny!

They way they build houses here is quite different than what we are used to in the West. Normally, they have a scaffold where long bamboos are tied together with rope. At least here they're using an iron scaffold, but still it looks a bit dangerous, doesn't it?

The roof is on!

The people who are working there are volunteers from Cebu, who asked if they could please come and make food for the children in the slums next to our center. They cooked for 300 children! We always welcome people who would like to give to help the less fortunate.

One of the boys from the slums together with Mars and Johnny worked on spreading out the truckloads of lime stone that was brought there to level the ground.

Right: Gabriel Tangalin who is the coordinator at the building site together with Sherwin and collegue from Timex Philippines. Timex are sponsoring the building of the dental- and medical clinic.

First the gate and temporary wall had to be removed

Every day the children from the slums came to watch them work. Digging in the dry and compact soil/road was just plain hard work.

The holes for the pillars have to be deep to give the support needed for the wall

Getting above ground

Every day children came to watch the foreigners working, and to keep them outside the building site, a rope was used to make a "line" and the children willingly obeyed - staying away from danger

Kenny, Mark and Tom cementing the wall

Nario, one of Rise Above's workers and a mason, was directing the work, here together with Grant, Kenny, Mars (his back) and Mark

With sunny weather and temperatures above 30 degrees, it was needful to take a rest now and then

Day by day the wall grew taller. Here with Grant, Kenny, Kristian, Mark and Nario

Mars and Johnny are from Cebu and they have been working with us for over a year. They are very diligent, and the Canadian team appreciated their cheerful and happy participation

Mars and Johnny live at the building site, and here they are in their little house, a "nipa" house which we build for the caretakers. Kristian is of Filippine background and enjoyed working together with Mars and Johnny

Almost done - a high wall, that will keep the property safe

Lapulapu - a great Filippine hero

Cebu is also known for the skilled guitar makers

The team: Vice president of Developing World Connections, Canada - Mr. Tom Fair, Kristian, Earnie, Kenny, Jenny and Gabe, Project managers from Rise Above, Grant and Mark. Photographer: Al

Al, we needed to get you in there also, here at the appreciation party on the last day after work, in Happy Valley together with Jenny, Mars and Johnny

Alfonso is one of the sponsor children and is a good student

Alfonso at the eye doctor

Choosing an eye that would suit Alfonso

Fitting the eye

Alfonso came to our office in Happy Valley to show us how changed he is. Here together with Jenny.

The letter in Alfonso's handwriting

Workers laying the concrete foundation

Ireneo (Gabriel) Tangalin, our contractor Marlon Ferelino and Luisa (Jenny) Pityo in front of the building while the foundation is being cemented