Whilst the Manta Rays and other incredible marine life is the main draw for volunteers on the Raja Ampat Diving Project, another element of the project that many volunteers enjoy is the work that takes place with the local community. Today we are delighted to bring you news of a new project that volunteers were able to assist with late last year, and it’s one that will get everybody smiling!
On the island dental hygiene has proven to be a problem, especially where the younger children are concerned. Problems with tooth decay can set in from a very young age, and after a member of the team in Raja Ampat noticed that not all of the children on the island where the project is based were brushing their teeth regularly, they knew action had to be taken.
The team decide to launch a new project, aimed at making dental hygiene fun for all of the kids that call the island home, and they hoped that this would result in a much lower level of tooth decay! The project began with a lecture on the importance of dental hygiene, and as you can see all of the children were enthralled at the chance to learn all about their teeth!
They were taught about the benefits of brushing teeth, the consequences of poor oral hygiene and how best to brush their teeth. Each of the kids that attended the talk were then given a free toothbrush and some toothpaste to ensure that they could properly look after their teeth.
Since then, regular tooth brushing parties have taken place on the beach with the aim of encouraging as many children as possible to get involved. We don’t know about you, but here in the TGP office we can’t think of many better places to brush your teeth in the morning….
Things have been going well so far for this new project, and a member of the Raja Ampat team said: “We hope that through teaching and encouraging basic dental hygiene, we can reduce dental decay rates on the island, and preserve the beautiful smiles of the island kids into adulthood.”
We want to say a big thank you to the team and volunteers at Raja Ampat who have made this possible as it will make a big difference to the lives of the children on the island. Keep your eyes peeled as we hope to bring you pictures of these beautiful smiles for years to come!
