Tooth decay is one of the top chronic global health problems for children. KENYA SMILES is a comprehensive oral health program that builds awareness, provides information, and promotes education. Rotarians in Districts 5160, 9212, and 6150 collaborated with dentists, universities, associations, NGOs, ministries, and corporations to achieve sustainable, widespread impact. Learn about successful strategies, affordable techniques and tools, and innovative fundraising methods through interactive, facilitated conversations. Moderator: William Roy Gray, Endowment/Major Gifts Adviser Rotary Club of Cataraqui-Kingston, Ontario, Canada

1. 2014 ROTARY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
A Model Program for Improving
Children’s Oral Health in
Kenya, East Africa, & Beyond
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
Moderator: PDG Bill Gray
Panel members: PDG Laura Day,
Dr. Stephen Irungu, Dr. Sheila Hurst
Kenya Smiles

2. 2011-12 District 7040 Governor Bill Gray
Rotary Club of
Cataraqui-Kingston
Endowment/Major Gifts
Advisor, Zone 24 East
Director, Rotary Action Group for
Microfinance & Community Development

3. The Rotarian, February 2014
prepare traditional grain- and
produce-based meals. Team
member Jim Green, a member
of the Rotary Club of West
Calaveras, Calif., expects that
the 12-hour days the group
spent in the field will pay divi-
dends as mothers instill good
habits in their children. “No
mother in the world wants any-
thing but good things for her
children,” Green says.
The educational compo-
nent is what sets Kenya Smiles
apart from many other dental
projects, says team member
Maureen Valley, an ortho-
dontist on the faculty of the
University of the Pacific in
San Francisco. Some tradi-
tional dental missions tally
success by teeth drilled and
extracted, she notes.“There’s
been so little attention to
attacking the root cause with
education and intervention.”
Peter DuBois, executive
director of the California Den-
tal Association,concurs:“This
program is working with the
dental community in Kenya to
enhance the oral health of the
Kenyan population” by lever-
aging the resources of Rotary,
governmental, and medical
leaders. “I have never seen a
program quite like it.”
DuBois, whose 25,000-
member organization serves
a state with roughly the same
populationasKenya’s,arranged
meetings with dental profes-
sionals for the Kenyan VTT
delegation and brought the
team members to the floor
of the California State Assem-
bly,wheretheywererecognized
by lawmakers.
The project is good news in
a place where “the only thing
they can do is extract teeth,”
says Jeff Bamford, past Kenya
country chair and charter pres-
ident of the Rotary Club of
Karen-Nairobi.
“Yes,we need more dentists
and more mobile facilities,”
Bamford continues,“but right
at the beginning, we need to
make sure that tooth decay
happens as little as possible.”
He is heartened that the proj-
ect’s biggest evangelists have
been the children themselves.
“I see the kids with great big
smiles on their faces. When
we talk to them, they’re so
juiced about it.We can see the
knowledge spread from one
grade to another.”
– BRAD WEBBER
UP FRONT
In July, 5,000 children in Kenya received backpacks filled with items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste,
and collapsible cups. The Kenya Smiles project also funds education for mothers and helps train local dentists.
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F
ewer than 1,000 dentists
serve the 44 million peo-
ple of Kenya, from the far
reaches of the bush to Nai-
robi’s vast Kibera slum. Den-
tal hygiene is a rarity outside
privileged urban regions.“In
most rural areas, people have
to travel long distances to see
a dentist, ” says Stephen
Irungu, chief dental officer at
Kenya’s Ministry of Health
and past president of the Ro-
tary Club of Murang’a.“Most
of the patients will go to the
dental clinic only because they
have pain.”
Cultural norms suggest that
“it’s OK if your teeth fall out,
if your teeth are broken.They
think people are not going to
die from it,” says Past District
Governor Geeta Manek.
Those perceptions belie
the fact that tooth decay is
the most common chronic
disease of childhood and a
harbinger of health woes in
later years, says Karen Sokal-
Gutierrez, a physician trained
in pediatrics,preventive medi-
cine, and public health with
the Joint Medical Program of
the University of California,
Berkeley, and the University
of California, San Francisco.
“We worry about AIDS and
malaria and TB among the
world’s poor, but tooth decay
is so much more common,”
she says. “Unfortunately, it’s
always been neglected,” even
as processed and sugared
foods proliferate in develop-
ing nations.
Enter Kenya Smiles,a proj-
ect created by Sheila Hurst,
an educational consultant and
member of the Rotary Club
of Redding West, Calif., and
Laura Day, 2012-13 governor
of District 5160.The partner-
ship with the Rotary Club of
Karen-Nairobi – which also
received support from dis-
tricts 9212 (Eritrea, Ethiopia,
Kenya,and South Sudan) and
6150 (Arkansas) – was part
of a global grant that brought
a vocational training team
(VTT) of six Kenyan dentists,
including Irungu,to California
in April 2013 for meetings,
seminars, and training.
In July, 10 Americans,
including Hurst, Day, and
Sokal-Gutierrez,madethetrip
to Kenya, where they distrib-
utedfoursuitcase-sizeportable
dental operating units, educa-
tional materials, and 5,000
Rotary-blue backpacks filled
with toothbrushes,toothpaste,
and collapsible stainless-steel
cups – dubbed“magic cups”by
their young recipients. A $10
donation funded each kit.
The team demonstrated
how to use the kits with a
hippohandpuppet,anoversize
tooth and brush, and a white-
board game with magnetic
cutouts representing health-
ful and unhealthful foods and
drinks, which pupils tried to
swipe away.“The message was
‘which one is going to stick to
yourteeth?’”Hurstsays.“There
would be laughter and smiles
when the food would slide off.”
The project is also fund-
ing nutrition education for
mothers, along with locally
manufactured,energy-efficient
Jiko stoves to make it easier to
K E N YA S M I L E S
Project gets to the root of dental problems
UP FRONT
SHEILAHURST
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4. The Rotarian, August 2013

5. Kenya Smiles
Breakout Session at the
Rotary International Convention
Sydney, Australia

6. How did this happen?
We’d like to describe how we
1. Identified a problem worth doing.
2. Identified some ways to address the
problem.
3. Found funding to help address the
problem we identified.

7. Charter Member and Past President,
Rotary Club of Murang’a, District 9212
Dr. Stephen Irungu Macharia
Chief Dental Officer of Kenya

8. Kenya
43 million people, 42 tribes

9. Kenya Ministry of Health
… is committed to Kenya Smiles and
will give all the support possible.

10. Identifying the Problem
Kenya
43 million people
1,000 dentists
California
38 million people
30,000 dentists
Canada
35 million people
23,000 dentists

11. We volunteer in rural clinics.

12. And in the slums of Nairobi.

13. We provide free dental care.

14. The Kenya Dental Association
takes its mobile caravan to schools.

15. teaching children how to brush.
Dentists Volunteer at Schools

16. Dental School Students and Interns
also serve the community in free clinics.

17. #1 Vocational Training Team of 6
From Kenya to Northern California - April 2013

18. #1 Vocational Training Team of 6
Dr. Jane Wamai
Kenya Dental Association
National Chairwoman
Government Dentist
Dr. Stephen Irungu
Chief Dental Officer
Kenya Ministry of Health

19. Dr. Regina Mutave
Nairobi University Dental School
Department Chair, Periodontology/
Community & Preventive Dentistry
KDA Council member
Dr. Linus Ndegwa
Dentist In Charge
Aga Khan University Hospital Nairobi
KDA Council Secretary
#1 Vocational Training Team of 6

20. Dr. Kimathi Mwongera
Meru Dental Services
Public Health Lecturer,
Kenya Methodist University
Dr. Peter Gaitho
Director & Dental Surgeon
Everest Dental Group, Ltd.
Rotary Club of Meru
#1 Vocational Training Team of 6

21. UC San Francisco Dental School

22. UOP Dental School in San Francisco

23. University of California Berkeley

24. Henry Schein Dental Workshop in California

25. California Dental Association

26. Honored by the California State Assembly

27. Vocational Training Team of 10
Northern California to Kenya - July 2013

28. Both Vocational Training Teams in Nairobi

29. University of Nairobi Dental School
Instruction and training for faculty & students

30. Professional consultations and demonstrations

31. At the Kenya Dental Association
4 continuing education classes

32. Sheila Hurst
Rotary Club of Redding West, District 5160
Kenya Smiles Project Leader

33. Addressing the Problem
Improving the Oral Health
Of Children in Kenya
through a Sustainable,
Easily Adapted, Dental
Preventive Care Program
Kenya Smiles

34. Rotarians of District 9200/9212
2012-13
District 9200 Governor
Geeta Manek
Rotary Club of Karen-Nairobi
Past Country Chair Jeff Bamford

35. 4 Aseptico mobile operatories
Dentists can better treat underserved children.

36. Equipment and supplies for children’s treatment.
Improved dental care for children.

37. New funding for children in Mukuru Slum.
Screening, oral prophylaxis, and dental treatments

38. The dental exam isn’t really scary.

39. Clean teeth = a bright smile.

40. Dental supplies are available & affordable.

41. How Does It Work?
Building AWARENESS
Providing INFORMATION
Promoting EDUCATION

42. Healthy foods and drinks are widely available.
Agriculture and food production are
key economic activities in Kenya.

43. Other options are increasingly abundant.
Inexpensive, sugar-based, highly processed
foods and drinks are heavily marketed.

44. Nutrition Education for Mothers & Caregivers
Training the Trainers in nutrition education–
in rural villages near Meru Town

45. 600 local women taught
in their local language by local trainers.local
Nutrition Education Classes in Meru

46. Learning to grow and prepare healthy
foods in healthy ways.
Learning to grow healthy foods.

47. Gardens grow in rows and around poles.

48. Preparing & enjoying healthy foods.

49. Energy Efficient Stoves
600 women now own and use
locally manufactured jiko stoves.

50. A new series of classes has been sponsored
by the Rotary Club of San Ramon. San
Ramon Rotary
for a new Nutrition Education Course for women in
Meru
Funding for More Nutrition Education

51. Water Pasteurization Indicator WAPI

52. Redding Christian Interact Club
Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Anderson
Built 600 WAPIs for Kenya Smiles

53. Nutrition Education in Mukuru Slum, Nairobi
Information and activities about nutrition
engaged 300 mothers and caregivers.

54. Families in Mukuru Slum attend classes.
Learning about nutrition, oral health, and dental care.

55. Enjoying nutritious snacks at the training.

56. Starting a women’s baking program
.
An energy efficient oven for Mukuru Slum, Nairobi.

57. Students listen carefully to the local trainer.

58. Taking notes on the process.

59. Preparing the ingredients.

60. Healthy and delicious results.

61. Nutrition for Life Bakery is open for business!

62. Educational materials can make learning fun.

63. Oral Health & Nutrition Tool Kit
English Swahili

64. Healthy Snacks Magnetic Game

65. Puppets from Folkmanis

66. Involving the families

67. In rural villages in local languages
by local health workers.
Dental care lessons for children

68. In Nairobi classrooms
Dental care lessons for children

69. In outdoor areas
Dental care lessons for children

70. New Funding for Oral Health Lessons
Supported by the Rotary Club of Walnut Creek

71. New Funding for Loitokitok Research Project
Support from UOP Dental School

72. Radio broadcasts about oral health
Interviews & call in shows - Ghetto Radio 99.9 FM

73. PDG Laura Day
2012-13 Governor District 5160
Rotary Club of San Ramon Valley

74. Funding the Project
Ø A $200,000+ Rotary Global Grant project
Ø $53,000 raised $10 at a time in donations from
Rotary Clubs and individuals
Ø Contributions from Rotary Districts 5160, 9212,
and 6150
Ø Matching funds from The Rotary Foundation
Ø Additional gifts and donations bring the current
funding total to $450,000+

75. Dental Kits for 5000 Children
Rotarians and others were
invited to contribute $10 to
provide a child in Kenya with
a dental care kit filled with
supplies, materials, and
instructions for dental care.
$53,000 was the result.
5000 children received dental
kits & oral health lessons.

76. Dental supplies and print materials
Colgate Palmolive East Africa

77. The magic cup

78. The Donor Card

79. We delivered backpacks & lessons
In small slums near Nairobi

80. We delivered backpacks & lessons
In the huge Kibera Slum in Nairobi

81. We delivered backpacks & lessons
In outdoor school assemblies

82. In small rural schools

83. And in large urban schools

84. In really large rural schools

85. Oral health lessons with the dental supplies.
In a small pre-school in Kibera Slum, Nairobi.

86. And for really large groups

87. The children were exuberant,

88. Curious, Fascinated,

89. Grateful, and Joyous.

90. Their very own… to keep.

91. Charter Member and Past President,
Rotary Club of Murang’a
Dr. Stephen Irungu Macharia
Chief Dental Officer of Kenya

92. Gifts to the University of Nairobi Dental School
from the UOP Dental School and
Rotarian Dentists in California totaled $150,000+.

93. 4 New Scholarships for Dental Students
Solano Sunset Rotary
Dr. Jim Green
Dave Naro, Antioch Rotary
Dale Woodruff,
Grants Pass, OR
Sponsored by

94. Materials printed in English, Swahili, & more

95. PDG Laura Day
2012-13 Governor District 5160
Rotary Club of San Ramon Valley

96. The Kenya Smiles style.

97. Another example.

98. Color, template, font, design

99. Cover of the Oral Health & Nutrition Kit

100. Sheila Hurst
Rotary Club of Redding West, District 5160
Kenya Smiles Project Leader

101. Kenya Smiles is Simple

102. • Basic premise easily & quickly explained
• Preventive care avoids unnecessary pain
• Universal appeal of children's needs
• Locals identified a problem important to them
• Involved experts, used best practices
• Teaching 1 basic lesson for each group
• Interventions can be learned in a short time
• Relatively minimum cost to sponsor child
Simple

103. A New Rotary Action Group –
Health Education
and Health Fairs
in underserved
communities
around the world
Kenya Smiles is Sustainable

104. • Basis is Education, Information, Awareness
• Support of the Kenya Ministry of Health, KDA,
and the University of Nairobi Dental School
• Knowledge and learned skills change lives
• Information is transferred to family, friends, and
other generations
• New enterprises and jobs created
• Funding for new related projects and activities
• New scholarships for more dentists
Sustainable

105. • VTTs = new partnerships & collaborations
• Samson Saigilu: new program & Symposium
• Kenya Rotary Clubs expanding the program
• Collaborations with other organizations
• Testimonials
– Kenya Dental Association Camp
– Nutrition Education Class Graduates
Sustainable

106. Soweto Kayole Area

107. Never too old to learn – May 30, 2014

108. KDA Camp in Soweto, May 28, 2014

109. Did nutrition education improve their lives?

110. A New Rotary Health Education
and Health Fairs
in underserved
communities
around the world
Kenya Smiles is Scalable

111. • Easily modified to different cultures and communities
• Flexibility allows responsiveness to unexpected
opportunities
• Materials and activities to be used in Mexico,
Ecuador, and Liberia
• Initial meetings held in Tanzania
• Some inquiries from Uganda
• Plans for active participation in Rotary Action Group
Scalable: in Kenya and Beyond

112. Kenya Smiles is improving children’s oral health,
www.kenyasmiles.org - 4kenyasmiles@gmail.com
and many of its strategies and techniques
can be used to create other successful projects.

113. We welcome your comments and questions.
Thank you.