Brushing in Bekoji

Dental hygiene is important for every child. But sadly our children often suffer bad dental hygiene due to their families not being able to afford toothbrushes, toothpaste and visits to the dentists.

One place where our kids have suffered from neglecting their teeth is in Bekoji in Ethiopia. We have 450 children at our Bethany School in Ethiopia, a great majority of them had never brushed their teeth or seen a dentist before joining our school and receiving our care. But here at Stand by Me we want every aspect of our children’s health to be considered so we provide toothbrushes and toothpaste for all our kids and an orientation on how to use these items.

The orientation teaches the children how often they should brush their teeth and for how long. It also teaches them what healthy teeth look like and why it is important to have good dental hygiene.

Our kids really enjoy using their toothbrushes and for many it is a novelty. But it’s not all fun and games, many understand how important caring for their teeth is as our visiting dentists have often had to remove numerous rotten teeth - not a pleasant experience.

One of our students, Daniel Abu Beza, 7years, said:

“Previously I was cleaning my teeth with a stick from the tree now I am using the sweetest toothbrush given to me from school.”

A toothbrush is definitely more effective than a stick! Today, a team of doctors and dentists are in Bekoji examining our children. Keep brushing kids and your gnashers will be in great condition in no time. You can purchase a Dental check up for a Stand by Me child through our gift catalogue for £8 and ensure they have great oral health.