Even though it’s very hard to believe considering those communities in third world countries wouldn’t have a toothbrush let alone a phone, I believe it 100%.
A few years ago I travelled to Nepal – specifically, about a 40-minute drive out of Kathmandu, to volunteer at a primary school. One of the activities we did with the children was teaching them how to brush their teeth. We sat outside in a big circle and handed out toothbrushes. When each child had their toothbrush ready, we demonstrated how to put the toothpaste on and how to brush each tooth, as well as the gums and tongue. The kids loved this activity, which isn’t even an activity rather a chore we have done every since we have had teeth. They were amazed and most of them had virtually never even heard of a toothbrush let alone use one.
The road conditions were awful with dirt and bumps everywhere, and the buildings we past everyday looked as if they were about to fall down, all of which had citizens just sitting out the front of them. There was an astonishing amount of poverty which was confronting, but despite all this poverty and extremely poor living conditions, almost every second person I saw was holding a smart phone or some sort of electronic device.
How is it possible that adults, even children I saw, even have these electronic devices when they have never even heard of a toothbrush? This instantly indicates just how much power the media and devices has these days, so much so that people have them in third world countries and don’t have a toothbrush. Amazing. I don’t know whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but it’s reality and learning to accept that is all we can do. Seeing it firsthand was amazing though, a massive eye opener.
Julia, fellow volunteer during the brushing teeth activity at the school. Photo Source: Isobel Smart, Dec 2013
Living conditions on the street whilst driving past in our mini bus. The shakiness of the photo shows how bumpy the road was as it was taken from inside the bus! Photo Source: Isobel Smart, Dec 2013