Toothbrush Pledge launched for underprivileged children
By September next year, thousands of underprivileged children in Zululand must each have their own toothbrush. That is the dream of local dentist and oral hygienist, Dr Refiloe Makgato.
Dr Makgato is launching a ‘Toothbrush Pledge’, with the aim of collecting as many toothbrushes as possible across three districts - uMkhanyakude, Zululand and King Cetshwayo.
The collected toothbrushes will then be donated to underprivileged children to improve oral health among them.
Dr Makgato says teeth form an integral part of a person’s image, which is why she has started the pledge.
She wants to give young boys and girls confidence by giving them a happy smile and promote oral health through education and prevention of oral disease.
She says poor oral health is a serious issue in rural areas where there is often a lack of education on the importance of looking after one’s teeth teeth.
In a poverty-stricken poverty-str household, buying food takes priority ov over buying a toothbrush.
But Dr Makgato Makga says the condition of a person’s teeth u ultimately affects his or her overall health, as well as self-esteem and social acceptance.
‘The Tooth Toothbush Pledge will also get people to own up to their social responsibilities by donating too toothbrushes.
‘After collecting co the targeted number of toothbrush toothbrushes (two million), these will be donated to schools in all three districts during Oral Hea Health Month in September next year.’
The public, pub businesses and organisations are invited to support the initiative, by purchasing an extra toothbrush t and dropping it off at any of Dr Makgato’s M dental practices:
• Five Fiv Ways Dental Shop, No 17 Five Ways Mall, M Empangeni (063 3539134)
• •u uMhlathuze Dental Shop, No 25, Lakeside Mall, M Richards Bay (035 7891662)
• Mtubatuba Bus & Taxi City, Shop 29
(035 5502940)
• Ulundi Plaza, Mangosuthu Street, Room 13 (035 8703989)
More drop-off points will be announced in due course.
For more information, call 064 5195575 or visit the Facebook page ‘Toothbrush Pledge’.