Projects

South Africa Project
• 2025: A new oral health initiative for 3,000 children at two primary schools in the Mfuleni township, Cape Town. This project is being organized in connection with the international congress of the International Association of Paediatric Dentistry (IAPD) and is carried out in collaboration with the Dental Wellness Trust, the South African Association of Paediatric Dentistry (SAAPD), and the University of the Western Cape (Department of Community Dentistry & Paediatric Dentistry).
• Supported financially, through personnel, and with materials by: the Bamboovement, Medsocks, Stichting Universitas, Wings of Support, Colgate South Africa, friends & family.
• Impact: Around 3,000 primary school children and their parents have gained increased knowledge on maintaining good oral health and hand hygiene. This helps keep the children fit for school and sets them on a path toward a healthier future.

Kenya Project
• 2025: A new oral health initiative for children in Kasemeni, Kwale, Kenya, in collaboration with the Dutch Dental Care Foundation (https://dutchdentalcare.nl/). During the project, 2,000 children received free dental treatment from DDC oral health professionals and oral health education from THTF. Around 500 parents also received education, treatment, and materials (toothbrushes & toothpaste).
• Oral Health & WASH project in Ukunda at a school for 250 children, including supervised brushing programs, handwashing lessons, and health screenings.
• Oral Health & WASH projects in the slums of Nairobi, reaching approximately 250 children, in collaboration with local organizations Big5 Library & Rafiki Organization. Activities included supervised brushing, hand hygiene education, and screening.
• Construction of a medical and dental clinic in Kwale Town for children with physical and/or intellectual disabilities, in collaboration with Stichting ArchiScienza (https://www.archiscienza.nl/) and Friends of the Port Reitz School Foundation (https://www.portreitzschool.eu/nl/).
• Supported financially, with manpower, and materials by: the Bamboovement, Medsocks, Dental Health International Nederland, Stichting Universitas, P.G. Krafft Foundation, Stichting Jan Pieter Nelisse Fundatie, Oasen, Wings of Support, Colgate Kenya, friends & family.
• Impact: Around 2,000 primary school children and their parents are now more informed about maintaining oral and hand hygiene. As a result, the children remain fit for school and are better equipped for a healthier future.

Kenya Project
• 2024: A new oral health initiative for children with physical and/or intellectual disabilities at the Port Reitz School in Mombasa, Kenya, in collaboration with the Dutch Dental Care Foundation (https://dutchdentalcare.nl/). During this project, 500 children received free dental treatment provided by DDC oral health professionals and participated in preventive lessons delivered by THTF. Additionally, around 50 of their caregivers and teachers received education, treatment, and materials (toothbrushes & toothpaste).
• Oral Health & WASH project in Ukunda at a school for 250 children, featuring supervised brushing programs, handwashing lessons, and health screenings.
• Oral Health & WASH projects in the slums of Nairobi, reaching approximately 200 children, in collaboration with local organizations Big5 Library & Rafiki Organization. Activities included supervised brushing, hygiene education, and health screenings. • Supported financially, through manpower, and with materials by: the Bamboovement, Medsocks, Stichting Universitas, P.G. Krafft Foundation, Wings of Support, Colgate Kenya, friends & family.
• Impact: Around 1,000 primary school children and their parents now have better knowledge of how to maintain oral and hand hygiene. This helps keep the children fit for school and sets them on a path toward a brighter future.

Kenya Project
• 2023: A new oral health project for schoolchildren in Mamba village, Kwale, Kenya, carried out in collaboration with the Dutch Dental Care Foundation (https://dutchdentalcare.nl/). During the project, 1,200 children received free dental treatment provided by DDC-professionals and participated in preventive lessons facilitated by THTF. Around 400 parents were also provided with education, treatment, and supplies (toothbrushes and toothpaste). • Oral Health & WASH project in Ukunda, targeting 250 children, involving supervised brushing sessions, hand hygiene lessons, and health screenings.
• Construction of a water pump and tower at a school in Mamba village, Kwale, providing clean drinking water for 1,200 children.
• Oral Health & WASH projects in the slums of Nairobi, implemented in collaboration with local partners Big5 Library & Rafiki Organization, reaching around 150 children with supervised brushing programs, handwashing lessons, and screening.
• Supported financially, with manpower and materials by: the Bamboovement, Medsocks, Stichting Universitas, Wings of Support, Oasen, Colgate Kenya, friends & family.
• Impact: Approximately 2,000 primary school children and their parents have gained greater awareness of oral and hand hygiene. Thanks to the newly installed water system, 1,200 children now have access to clean drinking water. These efforts help keep children fit for school and pave the way for a healthier future.

Kenya Project
• 2022: Evaluation of the 2019 ‘Community-Based Prevention Project,’ participatory action research (PAR) focused on children's oral health in Mamba village, Kwale, Kenya. The project took place at a school of 1,200 children and was conducted in collaboration with the Dutch Dental Care Foundation (https://dutchdentalcare.nl) and the Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Departments of Preventive and Paediatric Dentistry. Parents and teachers were actively engaged throughout the project.
• Oral Health & WASH project in Lunga Lunga, Kwale, reaching 1,000 children who received free dental care from DDC-professionals and preventive lessons provided by THTF.
• Oral Health & WASH projects in the slums of Nairobi, reaching approximately 200 children, in partnership with local organizations Big5 Library & Rafiki Organization. Activities included supervised brushing, hand hygiene education, and health screenings.
• Supported financially, through personnel and materials by: the Bamboovement, Medsocks, the Amsterdam University Fund (AUF), the Dutch Society of Paediatric Dentistry (NVvK), the VU Association, ACTA Departments of Preventive and Paediatric Dentistry, and friends & family.
• Impact: Approximately 2,500 schoolchildren, along with their parents and teachers, have gained greater awareness of oral hygiene and handwashing practices. This helps keep children fit for school and supports their path toward a healthier future.

Project The Netherlands
• 2021-2022: A participatory action research (PAR) on oral health with schoolchildren from the Schilderswijk, The Hague, in collaboration with the Academic Center for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA) Departments Preventive Dentistry and Paediatric Dentistry, Dental Hygiene Education Hogeschool InHolland, VUMC, the Prinses Irene school, community center de Mussen, GGD Haaglanden and Jeugdtandzorg West.
• Financially, in manpower or materially supported by: Amsterdams Universiteitsfonds (AUF), Nederlandse Vereniging voor Kindertandheelkunde (NVvK), VUvereniging, ACTA Departments Preventive Dentistry and Paediatric Dentistry, the Bamboovement, Happy Tabs, Medsocks, Coconut Dreams and Colgate Netherlands (Elmex).
• Impact: Co-creation of an action plan together with the schoolchildren, their parents and healthcare and educational professionals from the area, which contributed to local ownership and sustainability. Community mobilisation: schoolchildren, their parents, the teachers, and other professionals such as social workers, a dietician, healthcare workers from the GGD, dentists and dental hygienists from Jeugdtandzorg West and a youth nurse worked on the solutions together. About 200 primary school children now have more knowledge on how to keep their mouth healthy, about visiting the dentist and a healthy diet. Stakeholders from the area were connected during this research. This project led to oral health literacy and awareness about a healthy diet amongst children and mothers from the neighbourhood.

Project Kenia

• 2020: ‘Building 60 handwashing stations in the slums of Nairobi to stop the spread of Covid19, a collaboration between The Healthy Teeth Foundation, and local Kenyan organizations such as Rafiki Organization, Big 5 Library and Yoga Heart Kenya.
• Financially supported by: friends, family, sponsors of The Healthy Teeth Foundation and readers of Den Haag Centraal (newspaper).
• Impact: Together we build 60 handwashing stations in different slums to stop the spread of Covid19. We refilled these with water and soap for 1,5 year. About 300.000 people can now wash their hands on a daily basis with water and soap. Also, soap making classes have been organized, large water storage tanks have been purchased and trucks with 10.000 liter brought extra water to the communities. Children got nice handwashing workshops to learn about the importance of handwashing. This project brought awareness about hygiene, social distancing and mouth masks.

For more information about this research read this nice and informative blog from The Bamboo Brush Society: https://thebamboobrushsociety.com/blogs/blog/the-healthy-teeth-foundation

Project Kenia
• 2019: ‘A community based prevention project’, a participatory action research (PAR) about oral health in Mamba village in Kwale, Kenya, in collaboration with Dutch Dental Care Foundation https://dutchdentalcare.nl & 7Senses https://www.7sens.es
• Financially, in manpower or materially supported by: Rotary Jeugd Commissie Den Haag-Wassenaar, Foundation Rotary Community Service ’s Gravenhage, friends and family, The Balie debate center in Amsterdam, 7Senses, Academic Centre for Dentistry in Amsterdam department of Social Dentistry, The Bamboo Brush Society, Unilever Kenya, Docters of the World NL, Fresh Dentists, Rotary Doctors NL en de P.G. Krafft Foundation.
• Impact: the co-creation an action plan together with the community to improve oral health among children, this lead to ownership and sustainability. Community mobilisation: teachers, parents, health workers, the area chief, the herbalist, the village elders etc. were involved in this project. About 1200 primary school students will wash their hands and brush their teeth on a daily basis under supervision of the teachers and the ‘health club students’ from now on. Stakeholders in the village were connected. Awareness about oral hygiene & diet was created. Also a play was made by the pupils to educate the community about oral health. Insights in the relationship between Kenyan culture & oral health were obtained. An academic article about this project will be written.  

For more information about this research read this nice and informative blog from The Bamboo Brush Society: https://thebamboobrushsociety.com/blogs/blog/the-healthy-teeth-foundation

Project South Africa

• 2017: ‘Healthy Teeth Challenge’, a participatory action research (PAR) commissioned by and carried out for Dr. Linda Greenwall of the Dental Welness Trust (DWT) and 7Senses in Mfuleni township, Cape Town. For more information on the project go to: https://www.7sens.es/dt_galleries/healthy-teeth-challenge/
• Financially, in manpower or materially supported by: Rotary Youth Committee Den Haag-Wassenaar, friends and family via 1% club (https://onepercentclub.com/nl/projects/the-7senses-healthy-teeth-challenge/results), 7Senses Foundation, iTop & Prime Dental, International Public Health Department of Athena Institute, VU University, Dental Hygiene Institute of Hogeschool Holland and Colgate Nederland and Community Dentistry & Oral Health Department of the University of the Western Cape with the help of Dr. Linda Greenwall/on behalf of DWT.
• Impact: Co-creation of an action plan together with the community, which resulted in ownership and sustainability. Community mobilisation: teachers and parents were involved with the project. About 2000 children now brush their teeth on a daily basis supervised by the Dental Wellness Trust toothbrush mama’s. This project connected stakeholders and brought awareness about dental hygiene and nutrition among children and mothers from this Mfuleni township. It gave insights into the relationship between the South African culture and traditions and oral health. Wrote a report with recommendations for DWT.

Impression project: https://youtu.be/2vdQKlj8chM

Project Kenya

• 2014: Carried out Anthropological research and wrote thesis commissioned by Dutch Dental Care Foundation on ‘cultural and social economic factors that influence the oral health of children in Kwale, southern Kenya’. • Impact: obtained an understanding of the relationship between Kenyan culture and oral health. Wrote a report with recommendations for DDC. Published an article in the Dutch Magazine for Dentistry http://alicegrasveld.nl/Artikel-NTvT.pdf

Project Kenya

• 2020: ‘Building handwashing stations in the slums of Nairobi to stop the spread of Covid19, a collaboration between The Healthy Teeth Foundation, and local Kenyan organizations such as Rafiki Organization, Yoga Heart Kenya en Big 5 Library.

• Financially supported by: friends, family, sponsors of The Healthy Teeth Foundation and readers of Den Haag Centraal (newspaper).

• Impact: Together we build over a dozen handwashing stations in different slums to stop the spread of Covid19. About 300.000 people can now wash their hands on a daily basis with water and soap. Also, soap making classes have been organized, large water tanks have been purchased and water trucks brought extra water to the communities. Children got nice handwashing workshops to learn about the importance of handwashing. Awareness about hygiene, social distancing and mouth masks.

PROJECTS

RSIN : 859433614