I guess like most Peace Corps Volunteers stationed in Africa, I assumed the majority of my projects would deal with raising awareness about HIV and AIDS and educating against infection. And while, in a lot of ways that has been the case, for my most recent proposal it is certainly not.
Instead, I'm looking at preventative oral care.
While most people in the U.S. see a dentist every six months, children in Namibia see one just twice in their lifetimes. Exams are scheduled when they enter kindergarten, and once again if they finish grade 12. As a result, cavities, decay and infection too often go unchecked. These "simple fixes" in the states can lead to more serious situations in the rural areas of this developing country.
Just two dentists serve the town of Khorixas, as well as the whole of the Kunene region. This area spans hundreds of kilometers, from the Angola border to the Atlantic Ocean to the Etosha Game Reserve. Limited resources and a serious lack of reliable transport between remote farms and town centers make seeing a dentist nearly impossible. Few people in and around Khorixas own cars, and even the hospital's ambulances are rarely in working order. Because of this, the average patient can wait upwards of four to five months for an appointment.
Even in an emergency situation.
A little less than two years ago, an uninsured boy outside of Washington, D.C. died when an untreated cavity caused an infection that spread to his brain. While this may be am extreme case, it proves the importance of prevention. Particullarly in poor areas with limited resources. Educating children at the primary level about oral hygiene is essential to maintain not just healthy teeth, but healthy children,
too.
As it stands, most children in Khorixas are never taught the basics of daily brushing or regular flossing. And a high unemployment rate means some families cannot afford there dental care basics. My program will offer solutions to both of there problems (and encourage continued healthy habits) by teaching kids to care for their teeth and providing them with the tools, like a toothbrush, toothpaste and dental floss, to do it.
This is an ambitious project with a wide reach, and I am still in need of donations to make this educational program a reality in the coming months. I plan to pilot this initiative with the roughly 2,000 learners at Khorixas's four primary schools (K-7), before moving on to the nine smaller farm schools seated in more remote parts of the district.
If there's no dentist to care for the children, then it seems the only solution is to teach the children to care for themselves.
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