Brushes to Emory Health Against Human Trafficking

Earlier this summer, The Humble Co. eagerly donated brushes to the Emory Health Against Human Trafficking (EHAHT) to assist their endeavors of bringing free medical checkups and public health education to children and adults of the Chiang Saen district of Northern Thailand.

EHAHT is an organization run by Emory University students with the goal to raise awareness about human trafficking and assist those affected both domestically and abroad in Thailand. Ten years ago, the group learned about a site in Northern Thailand that was home to approximately 70 children who have been rescued from human trafficking. The shelter was started by a woman named Kru Nam who had previously been going into karaoke clubs and physically rescuing children from being forced into the sex trade. After her life was threatened, Kru Nam moved north near the border of Myanmar and Laos where she continued to keep kids safe as well as providing them with an education. Today the shelter is known as Ban Kru Nam and is serving over 120 children as well the surrounding locals! EHAHT’s relationship with the Ban Kru Nam Foundation ultimately allowed the numerous stateless children access to schooling and emergency medical care throughout the year from the local Chiang Saen hospital. The shelter is also receiving further attention from the Mahidol University in Bangkok to help those in need while EHAHT is not present!

On this trip, EHAHT’s mission was to give each Ban Kru Nam child a necessary checkup as well as to provide vital health education for the shelter. Many of the children of Ban Kru Nam were found to have dental cavities but otherwise were thriving and healthy! The wellness education consisted of general hygiene, hand washing, mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and malaria, and proper dental care.

“Another session we taught was general hygiene and teeth brushing in which we encouraged student participation and did brushing demonstrations. The children seemed to really enjoy this session as many of them excitedly showed their bright pink colored teeth after chewing the disclosing tablets and then proudly showed us their clean teeth at the end of their brushing” – Nishone Thompson, Physician Recruitment.

The team worked hard with translators to overcome the evident language barrier and eventually was successful in bringing crucial medical checkups and health education to the community. EHAHT’s dedication to the Ban Kru Nam Foundation will leave a lasting impact not only on the Chiang Saen district but also on the at-risk children and people. The Humble Co. is very glad to send out supplies with EHAHT to further spread good dental hygiene and care to all!