Rotary International Dental Clinic

Rio Dulce, Guatemala

A joint humanitarian project of Rotary International and the Parroquia San Antonio de Padua
Km 295, Semaji, Rio Dulce
Livingston, Izabal, Guatemala

Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Watertown, Wisconsin
and
Club Rotario Guatemala de la Asunción, Guatemala City

More info and photos - Click Here
"A walk down memory lane" - Click Here

The Rotary Dental Clinic, based in Semaji, a few miles north of Rio Dulce was founded in 1989 by Dr. Robert A. Liners and Lois M. Liners of Watertown, Wisconsin. The clinic primarily serves the impoverished Q'ueqchi' Indians and Ladinos in the Rio Dulce region. The Q'ueqchi' number approximately 70,000 and before the arrival of the clinic, there was no dental care available to them. The clinic is extremely successful, treating an average of 5,600 patients each year.

Left to right: Santiago, dental assistant; Domingo, dental health instructor; Dr. Robert & Lois Liners, clinic founders

The Rotary Dental Clinic is sponsored by the Watertown Rotary Club. The host club is Club Rotario de la Asunción in Guatemala City which has been a constant source of encouragement and hospitality for the volunteer dentists who have staffed the clinic for the past 15 years.

Dentists from 19 different countries and 15 of the United States have continuously staffed the clinic on a 30-day rotation. The volunteer Rotarians each bring a flag from their individual clubs so the walls of the clinic are covered with colorful flags identifying dentists from Switzerland, Scotland, England, Holland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Mauritius, India, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, Canada, South Africa, and Nigeria. The state with the greatest number of flags is Pennsylvania and Holland is the most represented non-U.S. country. The diversity of volunteers, dedicated to serving the needy people along the Rio Dulce and learning about their Mayan culture is testimony to the Rotary goal of "helping to bring about world peace through international cooperation and understanding."

In the beginning, most of the work involved extractions because alleviating pain was the primary focus of the program. However, the project's strong emphasis on providing dental education and improved hygiene is working. The program has demonstrated to the people the value of having teeth restored before reaching the point of causing pain and needing removal. Gradually, the education efforts have paid off, and now for every 300 extractions there are 250 fillings. The success of the Rotary Dental Clinic has translated into better health and improved self-esteem, concentration on better diets, prevention, and care.

The Watertown Rotary Club contributed toward the purchase of a Mitsubishi diesel powered double-cab 4WD truck that makes it possible to take the dental team and portable equipment to isolated areas of the rain forest and mountains where many Q'ueqchi' live in small villages (aldeas). The base clinic in Semaji serves patients on Mondays and during the rest of each week, the team usually travels to remote villages to work. Up to 60 distant villages are visited at least once a year.

Mitsubishi 4WD funded by the Watertown Rotary Club and a matching grant from the International Rotary Foundation.

Even 4WD can't make it sometimes. But, plenty of manpower is available to pull the truck up the muddy hill.

Many of the distant aldeas require two and three days of sleeping in hammocks and eating only native food. The dedication of the Rotary volunteers has been obvious to everyone and the volunteers have witnessed the appreciation and hospitality of the Q'ueqchi' Indians. Long lines of eager patients greet the Rotary truck when it arrives in a village. Clinics are set up in churches, schools, abandoned buildings, homes, and sometimes outdoors under a tree. Power is supplied by the clinic generator so it is possible to bring the best of dental care to even the poorest people.

Village building houses portable clinic

Mayan Indian home

Mayan kitchen

In 1998, the Rio Dulce area suffered two natural disasters: Hurricane Mitch took lives, destroyed crops, and wiped out roads and bridges. Nine months later, an earthquake demolished buildings at the Casa Guatemala orphanage which is served by the Rotary dental clinic. Recovery has been slow because of the sluggish infrastructure of the country and the poverty of the people. The children at the orphanage are mostly street children or unwanted babies who are taken to live at Casa Guatemala which is staffed by employees, teachers, and foreign volunteers who commit their services for a minimum of three months. There are very few long term or dependable relationships for the children so the monthly dental clinic, brought to the orphanage's remote jungle location by boat, is a highlight in their lives. The Rotarians have become their special friends and this monthly visit is also a high point in the assignment of every volunteer dentist.

As the Liners began the twelfth year of operation of this Rotary service project, balloons  decorated the clinic. The Watertown Rotary Club has again included the clinic in its annual budget. Members of the club and other Wisconsin friends have been a constant source of encouragement and support. The Q'ueqchi' Indians would say "Bantiox", the Ladino patients say, "Gracias", and the volunteers say "Thank You" for bringing this much needed service to Guatemala.

Logistic support for the Rio Dulce Dental Clinic is provided by the staff of the Catholic parish known locally as "La Parroquia". The Parroquia is staffed by missionary priests of the Claretian Order, lay missionaries, and employees including teachers, cooks, secretaries, drivers, and laborers. Prior to  1995, the mission staff provided transportation for the Rotary dentists and their spouses to and from Guatemala City and to the many distant aldeas visited by the clinic dentists. Since 1995, the clinic obtained its own 4WD truck and drivers, funded by the Watertown Rotary Club with a matching grant from the International Rotary Foundation. The Parroquia maintains the living quarters for the dentists, Casa Apolonia, provides bookkeeping and record keeping services, and all meals are provided by the mission's kitchen staff. Jurg Egli, of the Rotary Club in Guatemala City has been the constant and faithful liaison between the Rotary and the Parroquia.

Domingo and Santiago, employees of the clinic, serve as dental assistants and interpreters in Spanish and Q'ueqchi'. Dental hygiene instruction is enthusiastically provided by Domingo, a former schoolteacher.

Domingo teaching proper hygiene

More info and photos - Click Here
"A walk down memory lane" - Click Here

Roster of volunteer dentists who have served at the Río Dulce Rotary Dental Clinic
* Repeat volunteers

Volunteer dentists for the year 2004

More info and photos - Click Here
"A walk down memory lane" - Click Here

Contact Information:

Dr. Von & Betty Kuehn
1306 L. Ave
Anacortes, Washington 98221
U.S.A.

Telephone: +1-360-293-6006

FAX: +1-360-293-0662

Email: vonbetty@comcast.net

Note from the Webmaster & Capt. Nemo's Communications:

For the past 3 years, we have helped provide communications services for the Rotary Dental Clinic and the Parroquia.
We wish to state that it is an honor and a privilege to work with Dr. Robert and Lois Liners, the volunteer dentists, and the other fine people who selflessly devote their time and effort to make the clinic a success. It is, therefore, with great pleasure, that we host these pages on the Maya Paradise web site. 

Phillip C. Landmeier, et al
Capt. Nemo's Communications
Río Dulce, Izabál, Guatemala
Nov 9, 2000