Encouragement

Preschoolers helping each other get ready to brush their teeth.

The principal of a certified school, proudly holding the certifying diploma.

Exercise! An important part of health - look at those adorable preschoolers!

Best friends who brush together, stay healthy together. :)

One school painted some really fun "health murals" all over their outside walls, and these fourth grade girls are really proud that they helped with this painting!

Earthquake Drill (photo courtesy of Derc Over)

Washing out a Snack Cup (photo courtesy of Derc Over)

Cute! That's all I can say about this one! (Photo courtesy of Derc Over)

Here are a few pictures of kids and events that warm the heart! It often seems like on a day-to-day basis that I'm not doing very much work.... but then you show up unannounced at the schools are you see that people are putting the information and suggestions from your workshops and newsletters into practice! Kids washing hands without being asked, other ones brushing their teeth rather enthusiastically, others putting trash into the trash can (some even are separating inorganic, organic and recyclables!), or a whole school doing their first ever earthquake drill!

The program that I am working in is a pilot program that first included all the rural schools in the county instead of working in only three schools. Next March, they will be completing the fifth year of the program, just as another 20-30 other counties all over the country are beginning the same program, using the strategies that we have developed here. My Peace Corps boss came to visit last week, and was pleasantly surprised to see that about 20 of the 26 schools will be able to move from level 1 to level 2 (there are three levels in all, with increasingly stringent health and safety requirements) this September! I hadn't realized how far the schools had come in the last year until he (an outside, fairly objective eye) pointed it out. How encouraging!