The 3000 adults and children who live and work in tiny Azama, near Otavalo, Ecuador, make their living on the flower plantations and in the cement industry. Children as young as six work alongside their poorly fed and poorly compensated parents.
The Azama Project allows the indigenous peoples of Azama the chance to the dream of better days, and it all began when Bonnie Lunt's People Helping People provided Azama with a school where children can discover the world through books, learn English and Spanish, and receive quality medical care, as well as dental care with
Dr. Michael Iott, a respected New York City dentist. The dental program was jumpstarted by
Monica Pelaez and
Dr. Gustavo de Oliveira who went to Azama, Ecuador to pave the way for the beautiful people of this community to have the healthy and beautiful smiles they deserve.
Shortly thereafter, Monica Pelaez went back to begin the daunting task of reporting the files and collecting information about the lack of educational resources and the high carb diets that cause overwhelming dental issues for these gentle people. Monica took pictures to demonstrate that what we see behind these angelical faces is a sad reality of decay and future extractions. With help from the Azama project and all of the wonderful medical volunteers who have made it a reality, we are ready to change this potentially bleak future and make a huge difference for this community.
Dr. Michael Iott’s team will travel frequently to Ecuador to keep up the dental work, not only with a treatment plan but most importantly, with a prevention plan that has the eradication of dental diseases in the area as its major goal.
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