Children on the Edge
  • DONATE
  • COUNTRIES
    • Country Overview
    • BANGLADESH >
      • Kutupalong
      • Bhasan Char
      • Cox's Bazar & Doharazi
    • INDIA
    • LEBANON
    • MYANMAR
    • UGANDA >
      • Jinja
      • Karamoja
      • Kyaka II
    • UKRAINE
  • ABOUT US
    • WHO WE ARE
    • Contact Us
    • Annual Report
    • Awards
    • Meet the team
    • Our Story
    • Our Values
    • Our Partners
  • OUR WORK
    • OUR WORK Overview
    • Working on 'the Edge'
    • Creating Safe Spaces
    • Child Rights
    • Refugee Education
    • Early Childhood Development
    • Our Flagship Models >
      • Cluster Learning Model
      • Digital Education Model
      • Child Protection Team Model
    • Supporting Slum Communities
    • Tackling Caste Discrimination
    • Ending Child Sacrifice
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Get Our Email Updates
    • Fundraise For Us
    • The Big October Cake Bake
    • Challenge Events >
      • Virtual Challenge
      • London Landmarks Half Marathon
      • Run The London Marathon
    • Schools
    • Trusts & Foundations
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • The Body Shop at Home
    • Volunteer
    • Shop
  • LATEST STORIES
Picture

LATEST STORIES

Click to donate

Something to smile about - Dental provision for children in Soweto slum 

30/3/2015

 
Picture

This month we invited 15 trained volunteers from Dentaid to come to Soweto to provide a two day clinic for the community. The need for decent dental work had been mentioned by the town clerk at our last play scheme, so a plan was put in place.


The clinic was based out of The Child Friendly Space. In the outside space each child’s teeth were assessed and fluoride was applied to strengthen and protect them. If they needed further treatment they would make their way inside the building which was set up with all the necessary equipment (much of which was donated by Dentaid to facilitate help within the community for the longer term).

The check-ups revealed that 75% of children had at least one of their canine teeth removed. This is a common practice by witch doctors, many of whom believe that the removal of a canine tooth will ease teething symptoms in young children. The belief is that the canine teeth of children under 5 years old are ‘false’ or ‘Ebiino’ teeth which cause disease. They are often removed using painful and unhygienic methods leaving damage and long term problems. Children with damage were given treatment and the community have now set up a programme of workshops, raising awareness about the dangers of ‘Ebiino’ practices.

The Dentaid team included international and Ugandan volunteers and following the initial two days of the main clinic, Joseph, a local volunteer stayed on for two days to work alongside Soweto’s local dentist, Nicholas. The donated equipment, including a new dentists chair has helped him set up and operate a regular clinic that reaches the whole community, including those living in the slums.

During the week a local wood workshop, linked with the vocational programmes of our local partners ADSN, crafted large toothbrush holders, to store new toothbrushes which were bought for all the children at the Centre. The idea is that they are kept at the schools so that the children can learn brushing techniques all together, making the learning experience more fun (and keeping the toothbrushes from being lost!).

Ben Wilkes who was hosting the Dentaid team over this time said ‘It was brilliant to see the community identify a need, and be able to meet it so quickly, The Dentaid team were professional and worked brilliantly with the children. We were able to open the clinics up to the wider community, and do workshops in the local school, so it really was a community wide event’.

Donate to the work in Uganda
Find out more about the project

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Support us

  • Give monthly Give monthly
  • Fundraise for us Fundraise for us
  • Receive our emails Receive our emails


Comments are closed.
    Picture

    RECEIVE OUR EMAILS

    Blog Categories

    All
    Ambassadors
    Bangladesh
    Bhasan Char
    Burma/Myanmar
    Chichester
    Child Participation
    Child Protection Team
    Child Rights
    Child Sacrifice
    Cluster Learning
    Coronavirus
    Dalit
    Digital Education
    Early Childhood Development
    Education Loans
    Fundraising
    General
    #GetToKnowUs
    History
    Hope
    Humanitarian Relief
    India
    Kachin
    Karamoja
    Kyaka II Uganda
    Lebanon
    Moja Kids
    Postcode Lottery
    Protective Environments
    Refugees
    Rohingya
    Romania & Moldova
    Schools
    Storytellers
    The Body Shop At Home
    #ThrowbackThursday
    Uganda
    UK
    Ukraine
    Volunteer
    Women's Rights

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011



    RSS Feed

JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
DONATE

Get Involved

Corporate Partnerships
​
​Email updates
Fundraise 
Give Monthly
Grant Giving Organisations
​The Body Shop At Home
Volunteer

aBOUT US

Who We Are
​​​How  We Spend Your Money
Latest Stories
​Our Story
​​Our Work
Annual Report  | Contact Us |  Jobs | Media Centre | Resources | Shop 
Accessibility & Policies:  Accessibility  |  Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Policy | Complaints​| Privacy Policy | Safeguarding 
Logo which says 'Registered with Fundraising Regulator'

Registered charity no. 1101441
REGISTERED COMPANY No. 4996130 

​Children on the Edge, 5 The Victoria, 25 St Pancras, Chichester,  West Sussex, PO19 7LT, UK | 01243 538530 | communications@childrenontheedge.org 
  • DONATE
  • COUNTRIES
    • Country Overview
    • BANGLADESH >
      • Kutupalong
      • Bhasan Char
      • Cox's Bazar & Doharazi
    • INDIA
    • LEBANON
    • MYANMAR
    • UGANDA >
      • Jinja
      • Karamoja
      • Kyaka II
    • UKRAINE
  • ABOUT US
    • WHO WE ARE
    • Contact Us
    • Annual Report
    • Awards
    • Meet the team
    • Our Story
    • Our Values
    • Our Partners
  • OUR WORK
    • OUR WORK Overview
    • Working on 'the Edge'
    • Creating Safe Spaces
    • Child Rights
    • Refugee Education
    • Early Childhood Development
    • Our Flagship Models >
      • Cluster Learning Model
      • Digital Education Model
      • Child Protection Team Model
    • Supporting Slum Communities
    • Tackling Caste Discrimination
    • Ending Child Sacrifice
  • GET INVOLVED
    • Get Our Email Updates
    • Fundraise For Us
    • The Big October Cake Bake
    • Challenge Events >
      • Virtual Challenge
      • London Landmarks Half Marathon
      • Run The London Marathon
    • Schools
    • Trusts & Foundations
    • Corporate Partnerships
    • The Body Shop at Home
    • Volunteer
    • Shop
  • LATEST STORIES