Children's Dental Health Month began as a one-day event in Cleveland, Ohio, on February 3, 1941. This single-day observance became a week-long event in 1955, and in 1981 the program was extended to a month-long celebration known today as National Children's Dental Health Month.

The workshop offered to the student nurses by PRASAD CDHP - NY was titled "Oral Health of Patients in Long-Term and Acute Care Settings." It is important for nurses to be especially attentive to oral health because the mouth is a mirror that can alert them to systemic problems. Also, oral conditions can create or exacerbate systemic problems. The CDHP prevention team also has been teaching children about dental health by singing songs in the classroom, conducting toothbrush skills workshops, and supplying parents with nutrition guidelines.

February was a special time to showcase children's dental health, although it is imperative to educate people about good health throughout the whole year. It is for this reason that the Children's Dental Health Program resolutely conducts prevention programs in schools during the entire academic year, and offers services during the summer.

The Kelton group met with Vilas Shinde, Prasad Chikitsa's Community Development officer, to discuss the project, and he then contacted Mr. Gaikwad, the Maharashtra government officer from the Department of District Village Industries Development. The government officer evaluated the group's eligibility to participate in the Industries Development Program and, based on its demonstrated sustainability, confidence, capabilities and willingness, selected it to participate in the program.

Prasad Chikitsa then helped to facilitate a honey-making training program, which took place November 20th-December 5th, 2002. In this 15-day training, the government beekeeper took the group members on field trips in the mornings and conducted theory training in the afternoons. During the field trips, members learned how to identify the queen bee and the different types of bees, how to catch the queen bee, and how to recognize various flowers.

Soon the group will visit established honey-making businesses in the city of Dahanu (approximately two hours from Ganeshpuri). Prasad Chikitsa will provide the vehicle and the group will pay for the petrol for the trip. Upon completion of the training, the government will provide the group with honey-making boxes at subsidy rates. Prasad Chikitsa will lend the group the money to purchase three initial boxes. The SHG can sell the honey to private customers at 100 Rupees (US$2) per kilogram, or to the government for 65 Rupees (US$1.30) per kilogram. The group can earn 1,000 Rupees (US$20) per year per honey-making box — indeed, a sweet result from this community development enterprise.

Click here for more information on PRASAD's Community Education and Development Programs and Self-Help Groups.