Next Phase of the Toothpaste Trial

You may remember that back in July I once again assisted Dr Barry Stewart with recording for the Gudfala Tut Skul Projek (Healthy Tooth School Project). Well the children have been using the locally made toothpaste and brushing at school once a day, and hopefully at home once a day too, for 5 months now. It was originally intended to be 3 months but events conspired...

Last week we assessed the plaque levels again to compare them with the levels at the begining of the trial, and initial analysis shows that they are a lot lower 👍. 

 A chart from one of the classes showing each day that the children brushed at school.

Dr Barry had a go at recording for Lily one day.

Here's me recording for Dr Jenny with school nurse Priscilla in the background. She was very sweet and accommodating even though we completely took over her clinic.

We needed to mix up a bit more paste to supply the classes. This involved a cake mixer,

and a sausage maker to fill the re-usable bottles.

We assessed a junior class this morning who had not been on the trial, and preliminary results are that their plaque levels are way higher than those children on the trial. 

Next step is for Dr Barry to write up the report and present it, along with the National Oral Health Survey report, to the Ministry of Health in November this year. Hopefully brushing in school every day will become required in every classroom across the country soon, at least for the early grades, to get the children into that good habit 😁.

We also hope that manufacture of locally made toothpaste will be done on a large scale, with some for sale, providing funding for free supply to the schools. Well done Dr Barry, you rock, even if you are an Aussie and you like football not rugby!

In between working, we squeezed in a social coffee with a few of our lovely friends from Marine Reach's health and training facility Family Care centre.

That's Debora from Italy, Martyn, Anna from USA and Mel from NZ.

Sunday 9th September 2018

We went to the ICC Church for a final service before we return to New Zealand this Saturday. We have made some wonderful friends at ICC. Thank you for the blessings that you have given us.

After the service we met up with our friends Samuel and Cindy Katipa to say farewell. We had lunch on the waterfront and then some playtime at the wonderful new playground there. It was a lovely afternoon and a real pleasure to spend some time with them.

Left to right, Ketera (Cindy or Samuel's niece), Vita, Cindy, Christopher and Samuel

Christopher and Vita on the swing with Cindy pushing

Samuel and Cindy

The girls giving Christopher a push

Samuel's relatives from Erromango Island grow vegetables including these watermelons. They were at the market selling their produce.

Another Part of 8th September 2018

We continued our involvement in a developing trials community in Vanuatu.  Today we went to a property in the upper reaches of the catchment area for the Teouma River. We rode Ethel there, it took around 30 minutes down a long series of farm tracks on private properties that the public do not get access to.  A beautiful back-country part of Vanuatu. In some parts it reminded us of New Zealand country side (except maybe for the coconut and banana palms, pawpaw and mango trees.😄)

Annette drove Ethel and I was the passenger. She did well, Annette that is, though Ethel did well too.

It has been a great opportunity for me to help the riders in Vanuatu develop the Vanuatu Trials Championship. Many riders are from an enduro background, and are learning about the feet up skills for the first time.

Annette helped to set up the sections.  I stood on the sections and gave instructions where to put the section markers (boundaries to the section course)

View over the valley where we held the trial

Some great rocks, we could easily hold expert standard trials here

Lunch stop or maybe just a chance for a chat.

8th September 

More packing and preparation for our departure.  It is a bit more of a challenge with my leg in plaster, I am doing my bit. We have sold some items to help tidy the flat.

Strapping the guitar case with nylon cable ties.

Our guest bedroom is turned into a baggage preparation area

Annette sorting bags and contents.

6th September 2018 More Rubbish Removal

The PCV team were on a roll after burning the accounting files.  Leinangus was keen to tidy the IT room and dispose of the printers and computers stored in the IT room.There were around 40 old computers, plus printers and monitors that were broken or not worth repairing.

Jonathan and Leinangus remove a old printer.

Loaded and tied down

Final stacking