Nuevas Sonrisas and Colgate-Palmolive in Santa Catarina Mita, 2023 and 2024

Nuevas Sonrisas and the children of Santa Catarina Mita schools are fortunate to have the very important support of Colgate-Palmolive in Guatemala during our Dental Week in the community. Because of Colgate’s generous donations, all the children in the schools we serve in the area received a large red Colgate cup, a large toothpaste, a travel size toothpaste and a toothbrush during Dental Week.

In 2024, for the first time, all the schools in the community have  received support from Colgate. This year even the schools not currently served by Nuevas Sonrisas during Dental Week received a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste.

The benefits of receiving toothbrushing supplies will be felt by the children and their families for a long time. Parent and classroom dental health education are critical parts of our prevention program, and Colgate’s donation is a key element for success.

We especially want to thank Julia Ruggiere, one of our valued volunteers, who helped initiate and develop this relationship and program with Colgate-Palmolive.  We look forward to continuing our relationship with Colgate and its Central American team in the future. Thank you Colgate!

This year we also thank Esmeralda, our dental program liason in Guatemala, who collaborated with the Municipality, the school district and Colgate to make sure that every child in every school in the area was supported by Colgate!

A health worker is presenting dental health information to 3rd-6th grade students at Quebracho. After participating in the interactive classroom presentation, each child received a Colgate cup with supplies to take home. A large Colgate dental poster was put up in each classroom.

The prevention team works all week in collaboration with “salubristas” from the Health Department to apply fluoride, present dental health education to parents and to children and pass out Colgate cups to children in over 100 classrooms. In addition, all the students going to the clinic to receive dental services also are given Colgate cups.

Diana is showcasing the boxes of Colgate destined for children at one school the following day.

Julia Ruggiere, seen here helping pack Colgate supplies, was very instrumental in initiating our relationship with Colgate-Palmolive for this project.