toothpaste, the insidious side

Here is a funny piece I wrote about a tooth brushing exercise I went to:

At the SD Suka Jaya in Pidie district, many students are getting a crash course in the essential properties of a substance many might take for granted: toothpaste. The results are, in a word, messy, as no one seems to be able to shake (literally) free of the interloping white goop. Stowaway toothpaste goes from cheeks, onto a hand, only to end up on the other hand, and sooner or later shirts and pants too, as the children frantically try to get rid of it, most only succeed in spreading it around their persons. Eventually sympathetic teachers circulate, proffering boxes of tissues, through the besieged ranks.

Tooth-brushing activities like this one are part of S____’s School Health and Nutrition (SHN) program, which partners with schools and communities to address the critical health and nutrition factors that keep children out of school. Suka Jaya’s SD (elementary school), one of S__’s retrofitted schools boasting child friendly features and handicap access, serves as the ‘lead school’ in its sub-district level cluster of 6 schools. As the ‘lead school’ it functions as the cluster’s pilot for SHN initiatives, responsible for the dissemination of information, training, and staff within the cluster.

On this particular day, in addition to the school’s 163 students, teams of ambassadors from each of the other 5 schools in the cluster are participating in the activities, enabling them to bring back the information to their schools as trainers and mentors for their peers. This makes the day special for the children, especially Auranazilla, an 11 year old in Class 6, who says, “We are especially happy today to see all our friends from other schools.”

This day’s activity begins with a computer presentation—featuring a dastardly looking tooth decay character—designed to teach the children about dental hygiene and proper brushing. After the presentation the activity moves out of doors where every child receives toothbrush, toothpaste, and a plastic cup before a practicing brushing together. The children are especially taken with their new possessions and when the time came to brush, some of the children take such care to tidy up a patch of the school yard to place their cup on—some even casting about for pieces of plastic to use as coasters—that they have to be gently reminded to start brushing.

Auranazilla says, “I had knowledge [of tooth brushing] before, but it was not yet clear. Today I learned the swing technique [of brushing] and also to brush my tongue. Thank you so much.”

S______’s SHN program is an integral part of the mission to increase access to and quality of basic education through these school-age health priorities, working at multiple levels to this end. For instance, when the principals of this cluster came to S___ with concerns about snacking amongst the children—specifically that many snacks are laden with industrial dyes and preservatives not health for children—the organization convened a roundtable discussion with key stakeholders, including representatives from the ministry of health. This dialogue helped initiate a campaign for better snacks, emphasizing good materials, processes, and a return to traditional foods.

Another principal, Asnawi, from the nearby SD Desa Blang Raya, spoke to the effectiveness of S___’s initiatives: “Before SHN, almost all the children were infected with worms, and this affected their learning. After S___ distributed medication, this ‘spirit’ of learning has been renewed in our school.”

Mohammed Kausar, age 12, says of SHN, “We learn all about healthy behavior, for example, daily tooth brushing, hand washing, and where to put our garbage. I can share it with friends and family. Thank you to S___”

The success of the SHN program is an example of how S_____, working with strong partners, can devise both cost-effective and immediate solutions to address fundamental educational issues. Through SHN not only is the quality of schools improved, but children achieve better individual outcomes, learning healthy and beneficial habits that they can share with the entire community.