Reaching Out: What an Experience!

Marjorie Silva Rapose, DMD

In January 2020 I traveled to Patharlyndan in the hills of Meghalaya, India to conduct an Oral Hygiene Awareness camp for village children. My brother and his religious congregation run a small mission, teaching children to read. When he invited me to help with dental care, I felt the calling: “Whatever you do to the least of your brethren, you do unto me.” (Matthew 25:40)

Reaching Patharlyndan was a three-hour car ride from the airport, winding up and down mountains with no proper roads. On arriving, I was immediately struck by profound poverty. With temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit and no electricity, locals lit fires to keep warm through the night. With no grocery stores, they ate what they produced. There was no television or radio, and literacy rate was very low. The nearest medical facility was two hours away. Most children could not attend school as they needed to work. Every morning I saw older kids going to the fields carrying younger siblings and returning in the evening with grain on their backs.

On the day of the dental camp, I will never forget the smiling faces, but the dental hygiene was beyond terrible. They never brushed, and forget the floss! As I handed them toothbrushes and toothpaste, I had to explain (my brother translating in Khasi) what the brush and paste were, and how to use them (including which side goes into the mouth).

At the end of the camp, they invited me into their homes. It was an amazing experience visiting them. Though they had very little to eat themselves, they wanted to share that with me. The kids played with stones and sticks and danced around the fire. The elders gathered every evening to smoke and chat. They lacked materially, but they were so happy and content.

As my flight took off from Guwahati, I realized that though I came here on a mission trip, I left a transformed person myself. I realized that disadvantaged communities have so much to teach the world. There is no depression or anxiety on those Khasi hills. They do not worry about a tomorrow but just live a happy today.

Now every morning when I pick my toothbrush I say, “I am blessed more than I can imagine.” +

Marjorie Silva Rapose, DMD graduated from Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine and practices as General Dentist in the Sterling/ Leominster area.