PROJECT-SUPPORT DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Frey Perez Daniela, Canton of Aargau, Switzerland

Country

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is an island nation located on the island of Hispaniola. The island of Hispaniola lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and is the second largest of the Greater Antilles with an area of almost 77’000 square kilometres. The island is home to the states of Haiti (west) and the Dominican Republic (east).

The name of the state is derived from the capital Santo Domingo, which in turn is named after the founder of the Dominican Order, St Dominic. 

General

Mrs Daniela Frey Perez is a qualified dental hygienist and a school dental care instructor, and has made her profession her vocation. She visits the projects on site at least once a year.

Her aid project "Bella Risa" aims to promote oral health in poor countries. It works according to the slogan "Prevention is better than a cure"! The aim is to sensitise children and adults to good oral hygiene and healthy eating habits. Daniela Frey Perez has been passing on her expertise and emphasising the importance of prevention since 2011.

Beneficiaries

In schools and orphanages/children's homes, information is provided on oral hygiene, nutrition, tooth decay, and gingivitis, as well as instructions on how to brush teeth properly. In addition to the children, their teachers and carers are also trained on site. In this way, Bella Risa involves local people directly in the project. Only help for self-help brings sustainable improvement.

The be-all and end-all for the dental hygienist is recurring information and education. It is essential to repeat the missions regularly in order to ensure a lasting learning effect.

Project-support

Dental project:
Daniela Frey Perez provides information about oral hygiene, nutrition, tooth decay, gingivitis, and shows children how to brush their teeth properly. This requires toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, and water bottles. In Switzerland, school dental care has been the most important basis for learning oral hygiene for decades. This is why local teachers are also trained and she collaborates closely with school headmasters.

Litter project:
To combat littering, litter bins are purchased and placed on the way to school. The children are taught how important it is to dispose of waste correctly.

Emergency aid:
Storms and heavy rainfall have caused extensive damage in the area of Veron, near Punta Cana. Bella Risa is specifically helping to rebuild this small neighbourhood, because toothbrushing training was conducted there in October 2022. The people no longer even have a roof over their heads.