THE 2012 RRD "DREAM TEAM"
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Dr. Richard Reckmeyer
Executive Director and Team Leader
About Dr. Richard Reckmeyer
Dr. Reckmeyer fell in love with Rwanda in 2006 during a safari to Eastern Africa. His first exposure to Rwanda was the
Kigali Memorial Centre. He saw the destruction of human life that results when an immoral leader is in power and what a human being is capable of doing to another human being. Philip Gourevitch, in his book “We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed with Our Families: Stories from Rwanda” states that the 1994 genocide was the “most efficient mass killing since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”
On his way to
Volcanoes National Park for a gorilla trek, Dr. Reckmeyer noticed how clean the roads were and asked the guide why. The guide said that once a month, everyone, including President Paul Kagame, picks up debris including all forms of
polythene bags. The guide went on extolling the virtues of
President Kagame who “ended our slaughter”. Dr. Reckmeyer thought “What a difference a moral leader can make!” While visiting Rwanda, Dr. Reckmeyer and his wife, Jan, saw the hope in the eyes of the women and children; and it “was love at first sight” for Dr. Reckmeyer.
Since 2006, Dr. Reckmeyer looked for different ways to give back to Rwanda ranging from volunteering to help advance Rwanda’s tourism industry to designing an organization to improve the oral health care in rural Rwanda.
In 2007 he met Dr. Jerry Denning, a dentist, and his wife, Mikell Denning, a hygienist, introduced him to the work they were doing in Kenya through Kenya Medical Mission. The Kenya model incorporated caring for immediate dental needs and, incorporating a three week intensive training program to prepare Kenyans to carry on the work after Dr. and Mrs. Denning returned to the United States. The first seed of Rural Rwanda Dental was planted that day because Dr. Reckmeyer believed the Kenya model could be modified to fit the needs of rural Rwanda.
In 2008, Dr. Reckmeyer accepted an invitation to be the only dentist on a People to People Citizen Ambassador Healthcare and Medical Education delegation. Unfortunately, his trip was cut short for medical reasons but his dream of returning to Rwanda continued.
In March, 2009, the African Wildlife Foundation referred Dr. Reckmeyer to Dr. Mike Cranfield, Executive Director of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project. On the second phone call with Dr. Cranfield, Dr. Reckmeyer pointed out that the Mountain Gorilla One Health Approach had a flaw - it didn’t take into account that communicable diseases can be transferred from the mouth of any human being to other humans as well as to gorillas! Dr. Cranfield immediately set in place provisions for Dr. Reckmeyer to join him on his June, 2009, trip to Ruhengeri, Rwanda.
Facilitated by Dr. Cranfield and Dr. James Farer, Dr. Reckmeyer met with the VIPs from Ministry of Health, Kigali Health Institute’s Dental Department, Musanze District, Ruhengeri, and Community Health Centres in the district. He also interacted with villagers living in nearby rural areas. The most significant achievement was recruiting John Berchmans HABIMANA and Jean Claude RUKUNDO to participate in the pilot project . The ideas presented were well received, and a plan was developed to schedule a pilot project at the Ruhengeri Hospital. If successful, the RRD model, “Building Sustainability Through Education,” will be replicated in all community health centers in Rwanda. It was during this time that a partnership with Michael Grosspietsch, Executive Director for Eos Visions was formed.
In January, 2010, Dr. Reckmeyer returned a fourth time to fine tune details for the June, 2010 trip. During this trip, a partnership with Josh Ruxin, CEO of Access Project and Rwanda Works was developed. Michael’s and Josh’s team’s support is critical to our project.
In October, 2011, Dr. Reckmeyer will lead an oral health delegation to Rwanda with People to People Citizen Ambassadors Program that will focus on all facets of the dental delivery system.
Drew G. Cahoon, D.D.S.
Partner, Teacher of Dentistry
Dr. Drew Cahoon began his work in East Africa in February 2005 when he and his
daughter Wendy Penny went to Uganda with Rotary International. Their intention
was to work at a few orphanages and hospitals and return to their home in Raymond,
Alberta with the satisfying conviction that they had completed their humanitarian
service in Africa. However, while they were in Uganda, Dr. Cahoon became
convinced he had much more to offer and committed on National Television that he
would return twice a year for the next five years.
He met with Dr. Muwazi, Chair of the Department of Dentistry, and Dr. Okullo, now Dean of the Makerere University College of Health Sciences. They surveyed their Dental School which was a gift from the Government of Denmark in 1968. Of the forty-one, thirty-two year old chairs, only five chairs worked at that time. They dreamed together of twenty new chairs, new X-ray equipment and renovations for the Clinic. They left the room committed to opening the new clinic in August 2007.
Dr. Cahoon was able to raise $1,200,000 from donations by the Rotary Foundation, twelve other organizations, plus many individual donations. With the help of Dentaid UK and Jeremy Pryer of Victoria, B.C., he was able to train technicians and restore some of the used dental equipment. The Ministry of Education renovated the Dental School building and the new equipment was installed. The Grand Opening was on time, and within budget on August 3, 2007.
Since that time, Dr. Cahoon has teamed up with Deseret International and the Academy of LDS Dentists to provide several Continuing Education Courses, lectures to the Uganda Dental Association, and courses for Instructors and Students at Mulago Dental School.
Although Dr. Cahoon felt that his next project would be in India, he was visited at Mulago by Dr. Muhumuza from Kigali Health Institute who convinced him to go to Kigali and help develop the dental profession in Rwanda.
Since February 2009, Dr. Cahoon has brought Dr. Sorenson (a Murray, UT. Pediatric Dentist), 6 North American Hygienists, 4 General Dentists, and 2 Dental Technicians to Rwanda to provide: 2 Periodontal Courses, 2 Courses in Atraumatic Restorative Technique (ART) and in Dental Outreach, as well as a course in Dental Equipment Repair. He and his sponsors have provided tens of thousands of dollars of dental equipment and instruments to course participants and their clinics in Rwanda.
In collaboration with RRD, Dr. Cahoon will continue to assist Kigali Health Institute enhance their capacity to improve Rwanda’s dental profession and the delivery of dental services throughout Rwanda.
Shirl Simkins, RDH and Robert Lindinger, DDS
Teacher of Nonsurgical Periodontal Therapy and Teacher of Dentistry
Shirl is a dental hygienist with twenty years of clinical experience. She has a doctorate degree in public health and ten years’ experience teaching in the dental hygiene department at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ. Bob has 32 years of private and public health experience as a general dentist. He is a certified teacher and has a MEd degree in Bilingual/Multicultural education with an emphasis on English as a second language. He is an adjunct professor at A.T. Still School of Dentistry in Mesa, AZ and mentors one or two senior dental students every few months in the public health environment in Flagstaff and Winslow, AZ.
Kit Neacy, DDS
Teacher of Nonsurgical Periodontal Therapy
Kit is a periodontist who sold her practice in 2009 after 30 years and currently works as a dental consultant for Delta, Liberty, and Cigna. She is past president of the Dental Board of California and of the California Society of Periodontists. In February, 2010, she traveled to Guatemala for the fifth time with Faith in Practice, the Houston based group that provides 30% of the public health medicine and dentistry in Guatemala. She writes “We go to the remote villages and extract teeth. Last summer I went on the USNS Comfort to Nicaragua. This was a four month mission that extended from the Caribbean to Central America and cost the US taxpayers $50 million. To me, it was money well spent. We were able to do more than just extract teeth due to the quality and quantity of portable dental equipment that was available. I also spent August on the USNS Mercy in Timor-Leste.” She will be doing her eighth trip to Guatemala in May, 2011 and says ”I am pleased to see how the locals have taken over most of the organizational tasks for the group. I think that ‘ownership’ by the people of the country helps to make the project a success. What intrigues me about your project is the educational aspect. The ability to develop skills for the people in the country is priceless. I have done some teaching, but years ago, at both USC and UCLA dental schools. Also, I have a long standing desire to see the mountain gorillas.” Kit is a horse lover and stables her horses near Thermal, CA
Dennis H. Clark, D.D.S.
Teacher of Dentistry
Dr. Clark is a pedodontist, a graduate of the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry, and has practiced in the Las Vegas/Henderson, NV area for 22 years. He was the primary dentist to whom AFAN (Aid for AIDS of Nevada) referred during the years 1993-'94. He also completed a medical/dental volunteer mission with CDCI (Children's Dental Care International) to Sri Lanka in 2005 where some of the treatment was rendered next to live minefields.
Maureen Nunn, MA
Teacher of Oral Health Prevention
Maureen attended Purdue University and USC where she graduated with a Lifetime Teaching Credential and Master’s Degrees in Spanish and English. She taught high school and junior high Spanish for 12 years and is an author, award winning television host, speaker, trainer, and interpreter.
She has volunteered in Uganda for 7 years as a teacher of life skills in the most impoverished villages and in Guatemala for 4 years as an interpreter for Doctors Without Borders.
Maureen’s husband of 43 years is John Nunn, a Bronze Medal winner in rowing at the l968 Olympics in Mexico City. They have 5 children and are the proud grandparents of 5 grandchildren.
Debbie Cook, R.D.H.
Teacher of Nonsurgical Periodontal Therapy
Debbie graduated from Colorado Northwestern Community College and has been a practicing dental hygienist for 35 years. 
She has participated in various dental health education programs within her school district, has served as a Dentistry Merit Badge counselor for Boy Scouts of America (BSA), served as BSA Advancement Chair for the past 13 years, and received her Wood Badge Beads (BSA Leadership Training) in March 2010.
Debbie had the opportunity to travel to Uganda and Rwanda with Dr. Drew Cahoon and his team in January and February, 2011 to teach a Nonsurgical Periodontal Therapy course along with 3 other hygienists. They spent one week each at Mulago Dental School in Kampala, Uganda, and Kigali Health Institute in Kigali, Rwanda. Debbie exclaims “The highlight of my trip was connecting one-on-one with the students, and making some wonderful new friends! Maintaining contact with the instructors and students has been rewarding as they have shared the ways they have implemented the techniques we taught them.”
She also had some time on the week-ends to take in the African culture and tour the country via a short safari. She has found a new passion and dimension to her career through humanitarian service and she looks forward to continued participation.
John Berchmans Habimana
Superior Dental Technician
John Berchmans Habimana is Superior Dental Technician, Ruhengeri Hospital Dental Department, Rwanda Liaison. Mr. Habimana is a 2006 graduate of Kigali Health Institution. His first year after graduation, he worked at Butaro Hospital before accepting the position at Ruhengeri Hospital.
Jean Claude Rukundo
Community Health Workers Supervisor
A Community Health Workers Supervisor (1884 CHW’s), Nyabihu District, Rwanda Liaison, Mr. Rukundo is a 2002 graduate of Kigali Health Institute and has a 2008 Bachelor of Science degree in public health and is a candidate of Masters in Project Planning Management in Kabare University in Uganda.
Emmanuel Bagiruwigize
District Health Advisor – Musanze and Nyabihu Districts
Emmanuel Bagiruwigize joined the Access team in May 2011, as the District Health Advisor for the Musanze and Nyabihu Districts. As the DHA, Emmanuel’s many responsibilities include conducting health center management assessments, providing hands-on managerial support to all health centers in the districts and working to coordinate the efforts of the Access Project and its local partners.
Prior to joining the Access Project, Emmanuel spent 25 years in the health system occupying various roles such as Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and District Health Supervisor at Ruhengeri Hospital in Musanze as well as the District Health Supervisor at Gakoma Hospital in the Gisagara District. Emmanuel graduated from the Université Saint Joseph in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health.
