FSU Student Travels Abroad with K.I.D.S.

Frostburg State University senior, Elizabeth Davis, traveled with Kids International Dental Services (K.I.D.S.) to Cabo Verde, Africa during May of 2017. The goal of K.I.D.S. is to provide pro-bono dental care to impoverished children in developing countries.

Waking up at 5 a.m. every morning, Davis traveled to schools throughout the island off the west coast of Africa. The group saw a minimum of around 600 kids a day and a maximum of around 1000 kids.

“We usually brought fresh water to the locations because the people there didn’t have access to it, and the clothes the children wore were basically glorified rags,” Davis told The Bottom Line.

None of the natives spoke English, so the children were terrified of the Doctors and the assistants. The translators educated the children about good oral health to ease their fears and worries.

“Somedays, the line wrapped around the schools to go into the surgery station where I was,” said Davis.

After, the kids went to post opt to be monitored. The dental work usually consisted of pulling teeth or restoring them by filling in cavities and fixing broken teeth.

Davis is majoring in health science with a pre-dental concentration and a minor in biology. She leaves again on Nov. 19 for a week to visit to Soweto, South Africa with K.I.D.S.

To Learn more about K.I.D.S., visit kidservices.org.