Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.
This weekend, many kids here in Canada will be receiving lots of goodies from trick-or-treating, which means that caregivers will have to make sure those little teeth get an extra good brushing! It’s important for children all over the world to have constant access to good dental hygiene to ensure that they have a happy, healthy smile every day of the year.
Without assistance, many children and families at our sites would be forced to go without dental care. Cavities and tooth loss leads to pain, missed school, low self esteem, and lost job opportunities. Thankfully, our wonderful supporters make it possible for kids and families at our sites to receive essential dental care, training and supplies through donations to our programs and our gift catalogue. This week, we’re featuring our top 5 “brush your teeth” photos, so you can get a first hand view of our kids keeping their smiles bright and pain-free.
#5: Toothbrushing tutor
This little girl from our Mbinga site in Tanzania is getting a hands-on lesson in dental hygiene! It’s helpful for older siblings and students to assist younger children with their teeth brushing routines until they get the hang of it. These children received their toothbrushes and toothpaste through kind donations to our gift catalogue.
#4: A brush with fame
At our Fatima site in Bolivia, our site hosted a workshop on dental hygiene for young children. What better way to capture their attention than with a giant toothbrush mascot? A kind volunteer dressed up in full toothbrush garb, and demonstrated how to properly use a toothbrush to a roomful of eager children. The children couldn’t wait to hug their new toothbrush hero afterwards!
#3: Rinse and reuse!
When the children from our sites receive the gift of a toothbrush, it’s important that they take proper care of them. If they lose or ruin their only toothbrush before it wears out, it’s not as simple as popping down to the store to purchase another one; many families simply don’t have the budget or ability to do so. This student from our Kawambwa site in Zambia is doing a great job rinsing her toothbrush thoroughly after use!
#2: Scrub that smile
This little lad from out Nellore site in India is giving his pearly whites a thorough brushing. When young children first start using a toothbrush on their own, things can get a little messy. At our sites, sometimes even older children have never used a toothbrush before receiving one as a gift or through sponsorship. Luckily, someone had the foresight to prepare this fella with a cloth to protect his shirt from all of that foamy toothpaste until he gets the hang of it!
#1: Zero Cavities for kids in Tondo
At our Tondo site in the Philippines, cavities and tooth pain was a serious problem amongst children, and was the number one reason for missed school. A couple of years ago, our site introduced “Zero Cavities,” a program that provides free dental care, fillings, workshops, and checkups to sponsored children and their siblings. So far, the program has been a great success; children have received dental work to fix existing issues, and have received training and supplies to keep their teeth healthy moving forward!
Follow Chalice on Facebook and Instagram for daily updates from our sponsor sites, impact stories, and more! Be sure to check back next week for another Photo Friday.