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Children learn about good dental habits

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“We can see that there is clearly a need to expand this programme to reach older children”

MORE than 2 000 young children in the Gamagara municipal area are learning about the importance of good dental habits through a programme aimed at promoting education on oral health.

Plans are also under way 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 pupils and the Purposeful play groups, with the youngest child being just one years old.

“Realising that although schools within the community have primary health care services, dental hygiene resources and awareness and educational programmes are lacking or non-existent, which is why the plan to reach 3 000 pupils each year, over the next 10 years, has been devised,” Kelebogile Mogorosi, local community liaison officer for REISA said yesterday.

He added that REISA had been working very closely with the Department of Education and Social Services in the rolling out of the Ubuntu Schools Project, which includes the dental and oral hygiene education health project initiative.

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 pupil 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.

“We can see that there is clearly a need to expand this programme to reach older children,” concluded Mogorosi.

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