$300 to provide Dental Care to 100 Underprivileged Children in Chad

Our Chad team is dedicated to improving the well-being of vulnerable populations through health education initiatives. The proposed project will distribute essential dental care items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, and mouthwashes to students and underprivileged children in N'djamena.

Poor oral health can lead to various health issues, and by providing education and resources, we aim to empower these individuals to adopt and maintain good oral hygiene habits.

We believe that this project will make a significant impact on the oral health of students and underprivileged children in N'djamena, Chad.

Budget

Workshop Supplies - $10 (educational materials & demonstration tools)

Dental Care Kits - $190 (toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwashes)

Transportation to facilities - $30

Miscellaneous Expenses - $20 (incidentals and unforeseen expenses)

Benefit To Community

● Increased awareness of oral hygiene among students and underprivileged children.

● Distribution of dental care kits to at least 100 individuals.

● Encouragement of positive oral health behaviors within the targeted population.

Dental Health Project Report

The primary goal of the Oral Hygiene Program was to improve the oral health of underprivileged children by distributing essential oral care items, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwashes, and face masks. Additionally, the project aimed to educate and raise awareness about proper oral hygiene practices.

Beneficiary Group 1 - Street Children in N'djamena:

● Distribution to 50 underprivileged children on the streets of N'djamena

The distribution team provided each child with a hygiene kit containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, and a face mask. Volunteers conducted brief educational sessions on the importance of oral hygiene and demonstrated proper brushing techniques.

Beneficiary Group 2 - Students in Farcha Primary School:

● Distribution to 50 primary school students at Farcha Primary School, N'djamena

Students were provided with oral care kits and engaged in interactive sessions to promote oral health awareness. The program also facilitated discussions on the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene for overall health.

Impact and Results:

Increased Awareness:

● Interactive sessions successfully increased awareness about oral hygiene practices.

● Children demonstrated improved knowledge of the importance of oral health.

Improved Access to Oral Care Products:

● 100 units of the above mentioned oral care products distributed, including toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, and facemasks.

● Children now have essential tools to maintain proper oral hygiene.

Community Engagement:

● The project fostered community engagement through partnerships with local organizations and schools.

● Enhanced collaboration with community leaders for sustained impact.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

● Regular monitoring ensured the proper utilization of distributed items.

● Feedback sessions provided valuable insights for future initiatives.

Challenges:

̿ Limited resources for large-scale distribution.

̿ Initial resistance due to cultural factors.

Lessons Learned:

Importance of community involvement in program design.

Adaptability in overcoming unforeseen challenges.

Humanist Mutual Aid Network delivers Oral Health Clinic to Rural Nigeria Village

by Saliu Saheed Olumide

After roaming around to find the most suitable village to carry out the campaign project, I eventually opted to settle for an impoverished local Almajiri school in Maikunkele, Bosso local government of Niger-state. This decision was made because of many reasons; the most important is that these children (all boys, from the age of 5 to 18 sometimes) in this school have been weaned from their parents since they are little and left for destitution and despair. They lack a total knowledge of personal hygiene not to talk of a proper health routine.

Upon enquires, I was told that they were 50 in numbers (This was false, on the day of the campaign, 62 students were present). Supplies like toothpastes, toothbrushes and and three big litres of mouth washes and facemasks, all in 50 units, except for the mouth washes which was just three was procured, iodine, antibiotics and vitamins were also gotten. The campaign was slated for the next day.

On the day of the campaign. The service of a dentist and two local government community health workers were used, while I served only as the camera man. The dentist took the student on a lecture of oral Hygiene and how they can achieve maximum oral health with the little means that they have. While the health workers tended to their wounds and gave them some antibiotics and vitamins. All of these was followed by a demonstration on how to properly cleaned their teeth and the campaign was brought to a close.

The mallams (tutors) of the students were extremely happy for the initiative that they gladly took pictures and they beg that such initiatives shouldn't be the last one. They are sure their students will benefit from such novel projects.

Assignment: Write a 1-page essay that 1) describes your own relationship to dental health - is it a practice you are disciplined in? 2) describe the value of dental care, how do poorly maintained teeth affect the health of the individual? 3) Using specifics, describe how you would organize a dental intervention - how many people would you need? what supplies would you take? 4) Let us know if there is a region near you where you believe children’s teeth are neglected.