Dental Health Magazine Dental Health Magazine Issue 8 | Page 61

Issue #8, December 2017
basic dental treatment. From time to time, provision of basic oral hygiene kit will be done. Most importantly, DFTN will act as a medium for people to
channel their donation. Regardless of the words flying around regarding the movement, it never matters. All that matter is that for those in desperation,
they would know where to come to, in time of pain and need.
It all started about late 2015 when IDAM started joining Feeding the Needy movement at Chow Kit Road, Kuala Lumpur to form DFTN @ Chow Kit that
focuses on the homeless and urban poor in the city centre of Kuala Lumpur. Those living in the big cities, regardless of their education level and occupation
must have at least once; felt that the earnings they get were never enough. Hence, there are those known as ‘urban poor’. The notion got greater when
an outreach programme to Gua Musang was done. Slowly this Dentistry for the Needy movement spread around.
This programme extends from homeless and urban poor, all the way to refugee and indigenous people who live way too far from civilization.
The interesting part about the outreach programme for the indigenous people is the journey and travel that took the DFTN team, with collaboration of
other NGOs, hours and hours on the road that includes off roads journey. This showed little to describe the passion stored within these volunteers to give
back to those in need. This outreach programme would go all the way to Pahang and Kelantan and recently for
the islanders two-hours off Mersing, Johor.
DFTN team that consists of government and
private dental officers, specialist, freshgrad
and dental students @ Pulau Aur, Mersing,
Johor
At one point, everyone could be wondering; what do these
volunteers and charity bodies get from doing all these programmes?
All they can see is tiredness and time consuming. Astonishing as it is
unbelievable; this kind of charity actually provides satisfaction within
one’s self. It might not provide fame and money in return, but it does
provide a sense of warmth and happiness upon seeing the smiles and hearing
the “Thank You” of those in need.
Quoting one of the volunteer in DFTN, “Everyone can be someone,
everyone can do something, everyone can be a volunteer”. It is all in the
end up to us; to live our lives as how it is, or to make a small change in the
world and help others?
DFTN @
PPUKM
DFTN @
Pos Lenjang, Pahang
DFTN @ Pos Balar,
Kelantan
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