Over 2 000 young children in the Gamagara municipal area are learning about the importance of good dental habits through a programme that has launched to deliver education on oral health. Furthermore, there are plans to increase the impact of the educational programme, by expanding the reach to 3 000 children during 2020, including the communities of Kathu, Olifantshoek, Dibeng, Siyathemba, Babatas and Mapoteng.
Working closely with partners, REISA Solar Farm has funded the Wellness Relay. This broad reaching programme includes its ECD project beneficiaries, the Ubuntu Schools Grade R learners and the Purposeful Play groups, with the youngest child being just a year in age.
Realizing that although Schools within the community have primary health care services, dental hygiene resources; awareness and educational programmes are lacking or non-existent, which is why the plan to reach 3 000 learners each year, over the next 10 years, has been devised.
“We have been working very closely with the Department of Education and Social Services in the rolling out of the Ubuntu Schools Project, which includes this Dental and Oral Hygiene Education health project initiative amongst others,” Kelebogile Mogorosi, Local Community Liaison Officer for REISA.
The project was first launched in November last year and included entertainment and education programmes encouraging children to take better care of their oral health, as an important part of their overall health and well-being. The launch also included oral care demonstrations and each learner received a toothbrush and toothpaste.
“We are working to increase awareness among 500 children within each of our six beneficiary communities that include Kathu, Olifantshoek, Dibeng, Siyathemba, Babatas and Mapoteng, in the Northern Cape,” added Mogorosi.
A spin off from the programme is that parents have been re-educated by their children on the correct method of brushing their teeth and teachers have added the teeth brushing song to their classroom song list.
“We can see that there is clearly a need to expand this programme to reach older children,” concluded Isaacs.
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