A Participatory Action Research into oral health among children in Mamba village in Kwale, Kenya.
This project contributes to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through a holistic, community-led approach to health, education and the living environment in Mamba Village.
A Participatory Action Research into oral health among children in Mamba village in Kwale, Kenya.
To co-create an action plan (community-based prevention plan) together with the community to improve oral health among children in Mamba village, Kwale, rural Kenya.
In 2019, a participatory action plan was developed and implemented in collaboration with the community of Mamba Village to improve children’s oral health in a sustainable way. Ownership and long-term impact were central to this initiative. Teachers, parents, local health workers, village leaders, traditional healers and village elders were actively involved throughout the process.
The action plan consisted of six interrelated pillars:
Since the project began, around 1,200 primary school pupils have been washing their hands and brushing their teeth every day, under the supervision of teachers and members of the health club. Stakeholders within the community are united by a shared goal. There is now a clear awareness of the importance of oral hygiene and healthy eating. Pupils actively conveyed this message to the community, including through a play about oral health that they developed themselves. In addition, the research provided valuable insights into the relationship between Kenyan cultural practices and oral health.
This project has raised awareness in the community of Mamba Village about the consequences of poor oral health and a poor diet for the future of children. Now parents and children know what they need to do to prevent these problems.
Founder and challenge supervisor Alice Grasveld won the Viva400 award in Category ‘World Improvers’ with this project. Her first project with SevenSenses, the ‘Healthy Teeth Challenge‘ inspired Alice Grasveld to start The Healthy Teeth Foundation in 2018, focusing on Participatory Action Research into oral health and education amongst disadvantaged children all around the world.
This project has brought about lasting change in Mamba Village. Awareness of the consequences of poor oral health and unhealthy diets for children’s futures has increased significantly. Parents, children, and other villagers now know what is needed to address these issues preventively.
Annual follow-ups took place between 2021 and 2025. After the water supply was completed, a vegetable garden was planted and a school kitchen was built in collaboration with the community. In this kitchen, healthy meals are prepared daily for the approximately 1,200 students at Mamba Elementary School, largely using vegetables from the school’s own garden.
Thanks to the combination of access to clean water, daily hygiene routines, healthy nutrition, and education, children stay healthier, attend school more regularly, and are better able to learn. The project has set off a positive chain reaction: other village initiatives in the areas of health and education are building on this approach.
