PANGKALPINANG – The Family Welfare Movement (TP-PKK) Mobilization Team of Bangka Belitung Islands Province held literacy coaching and dental health education for hundreds of elementary school students in Pangkalpinang City. The event, which took place at the Babel Regional Library (Perpusda) on Tuesday (21/7/2026), aims to build a learner character while preparing children's physical well-being from an early age to support their future aspirations.
Chairperson of Babel TP-PKK, Noni Hidayat Arsani, emphasized that reading habits are the main foundation in broadening children's horizons. Through the "Move Actively with Mother Noni" (Beraksi) program, she urged children not to be lazy to read books so that their dreams can come true. In addition to literacy, Noni also reminded them of the importance of caring for body organs, especially teeth, as one of the key requirements determining physical eligibility for various future professions.
Echoing this sentiment, drg. Suniti from Depati Hamzah Public Hospital Pangkalpinang explained that dental check-ups should ideally be conducted regularly every six months. According to her, school holidays are the right time for parents to take their children to the dentist. This awareness needs to be cultivated early on so that it does not hinder children's dreams when applying for professions that rely on prime physical requirements, such as police officers, soldiers, or pilots.
Suniti also shared practical tips for maintaining oral hygiene, such as brushing teeth twice a day after breakfast and before going to sleep. She urged children to limit their consumption of sweet foods, drink plenty of water, and eat high-fiber fruits directly without juicing them, in order to stimulate natural tooth cleaning.
The event, which was part of the 42nd National Children's Day (HAN) commemoration, was attended by hundreds of students from SDN 21, SDN 52, and SDN 58 Pangkalpinang. In addition to receiving literacy and dental health education, students were also taught to use gadgets wisely, played traditional games like congklak and snakes and ladders, and listened to an educational fairy tale titled "Great Children of Babel Empowered".
