Student Spotlight: Marie Jose

Student Spotlight: Marie Jose — Building Skills That Change Lives 

When 23-year-old Marie Jose Barratou Hor clocks in for another day working at the Universite Gamal Abdel Nasser de Conakry’s dental clinic, she knows her job is bigger than cleaning instruments or preparing an X-ray. She is part of a movement to strengthen the dental workforce in a region where the need is critical. 

Across much of Africa, oral healthcare is currently in crisis. Many countries have fewer than 5 dentists per million people, and there is a shortage of dental education programs. In Guinea, Marie Jose’s home country, the limited dental workforce means millions go without care until infections become life-threatening. “There was an aunt in my neighborhood who had an infected tooth,” Marie Jose says. “They couldn’t treat her in time. She died as a result.” 

Her story is not unusual. It reflects a problem facing entire populations: too many preventable oral health conditions that escalate simply because there’s no specialist available. 

This is the gap that Dental Capacity exists to address by investing directly in people, training future educators, dentists, and dental assistants so countries can build strong oral health systems from within. “They train Africans so that they stay in their own countries,” Marie Jose said. “It’s better to care for our own loved ones than to wait for help from outside.” 

A Door Opens 

Marie Jose’s future was not always clear. Like many young people in her country, she struggled to complete the national high school exam, which she needed to build a career. “I didn’t succeed. I was sad and dejected. I told myself, ‘It’s finished. There’s no hope for me.’” 

She knew she was likely facing a future where her only options would be cleaning houses or mending clothes. “Without a high school diploma, that’s what people expect here.” 

Then Dr. David Ugai, Dental Capacity’s founder, offered her a different path forward. Dental Capacity sponsored Marie Jose to complete a Certificate in Dental Assisting in Morocco at UM6SS, one of Africa’s leading dental universities. The sponsorship covered all of her costs, including round-trip flights, tuition, housing and a stipend. “It’s rare to find someone who will pay for your education like that,” she said. “It gave me hope.” 

Her training in Casablanca was followed by a 12-month intensive English program in Ghana, also fully funded. Those language skills now help her communicate with international partners and grow in her field. 

Today, Marie Jose works as a dental assistant in Guinea, based at Gamal University’s dental clinic. She assists dentists in procedures, manages patient files and operates X-ray equipment. She recently spent two months volunteering aboard a charity hospital ship in Madagascar — again, with all travel and housing covered by Dental Capacity to make the opportunity possible. 

Her work gives her a front-row view of why training more dental professionals matters. Many children come in only when pain becomes unbearable. Many adults have lived with untreated infections for years. “Dental Capacity is needed,” she said. “It is a great help for Guinea — for the whole of Africa.” 

A People-Driven Mission 

Marie Jose’s story is just one example of Dental Capacity’s mission at work: invest in people, and the impact multiplies. When one student gains access to education, it doesn’t just change their future. It strengthens the workforce of an entire country. 

Across Africa, as many as 21 countries have no dental training program at all. Millions of children and adults live with untreated oral disease simply because there’s no trained provider available. By supporting students like Marie Jose, Dental Capacity is addressing the problem at its root: building the workforce that makes care possible. 

“People once said I would not succeed,” she said. “But now when they see me working, they ask how. I tell them: I am who I am today thanks to Dental Capacity.” 

Follow More Stories Like Marie Jose’s 

Marie Jose is one of many young professionals shaping the future of oral health in Africa. Stay tuned for more stories from Dental Capacity and learn how you can support the next generation of dental leaders.