GKAS care crosses cultural boundaries

Indianapolis鈥擜t the Indiana University School of Dentistry, the 100 or so GKAS volunteers are not only donating their time and professional skills, they are enhancing their cultural awareness.

About 30 children who are Karenni refugees (from the nation of Burma/Myanmar ) received a variety of dental treatments in the dental school’s pediatric dentistry clinic in this morning鈥攁 follow-up to a prescreening last month.

GKAS coordinator, Dr. Judith Chin, associate professor at Indiana University School of Dentistry, said a call from a local church that helps get Karenni refugees established in Indianapolis gave the dental school a unique opportunity to reach out.

“These refugees don’t have a dental home, and we’re trying to help them establish one,” said Dr. Chin. “These children have seen unspeakable things and lived in impossible situations. We’re just trying to make their lives a little easier. And it wrapped right into GKAS.”

According to reports in USA Today and other media outlets, thousands of Karenni refugees have settled in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, Ind.

To help break down language barriers, Dr. Chin enlisted the help of seven translators, themselves past Karenni refugees who have settled in Indiana, to help volunteers navigate culture and language barriers.

A special handout sheet cautioned volunteers not to step over things, point fingers or touch a patient’s head without saying “excuse me.” Volunteers also found a handy language reference guide of dental words posted at each clinic set up to help them make some contact with their young patients. Phonetically speaking, “oh toe cah poo” means “open mouth,” “tea” is “water” and “cah lee” is “air.”

“Bye-bye” is universal to both English and Karenni.