Flamengo and Orthopride join forces to teach about oral health in Caju, in Rio's Port Zone
The Social Responsibility Department has joined forces with the sponsor and Projeto Cria, which carries out educational projects in the Parque Conquista community.
By Daniel Falbo and Isabela Abirached - inThis week began with an oral health class for the children of Parque Conquista, in Caju, a neighborhood in the Port Zone of Rio de Janeiro. Flamengo's Social Responsibility department and Orthopride visited the community this Monday (26), in collaboration with Projeto Cria, which carries out a series of educational activities in the community, including the application of Waldorf pedagogy, with theater, music and painting classes. One hundred children and adolescents were served in the event.
The guest dentists, Karina Fazza, Gustavo Codeceira, and Beatriz de Carvalho Cruz, invited the community's children to a class. Karina explained the purpose of the visit. "We want to teach the entire community the importance of taking care of their oral health from a young age," she said.
The children demonstrated how to brush their teeth with the help of Tigger, Orthopride's helper doll. In addition to learning how to properly use a toothbrush, cleaning their teeth and tongue, the little ones also learned how to floss to clean areas in their mouths where a toothbrush can't reach. After a thorough cleaning with the help of dentists, the children received fluoride, protective masks against COVID-19, and a kit containing hand sanitizer, an official Flamengo cup, and an Orthopride cap.
Camila Nascimento, Flamengo's Social Responsibility Manager, celebrated the community's residents' engagement and the partnership with Orthopride in this initiative. "The idea is for this initiative to be ongoing and for us to reach various areas of the city, such as Parque Conquista, where a large portion of the residents still live without basic sanitation, so that oral health education can be passed on," she emphasized.
Laura Campos Braz, teacher and founder of Projeto Cria, spoke about the importance of initiatives like this for the residents of Parque Conquista. "Projeto Cria is the only art institution operating in the Caju favela complex since 2018. This is the third partnership with the club, and every time Flamengo visits Caju, it brings great joy to us and the residents. The entire community is engaged in this initiative, as most residents are Flamengo fans. The work being done today is incredibly important," celebrated Laura.
Jéssica Alves, a resident of Caju, commented enthusiastically on the initiative. "I thought this brushing class was great, since there are many children who struggle and don't like brushing their teeth. It's great that this kind of activity happens here in the community, so they learn good things and don't spend so much time on the streets," she concluded.