Writing the Book on Water

Our USC group aren't the only students who have been intrigued by the challenges of water & health in India.

Whitman Direct Action (WDA), a student group at Whiteman College in Oregon devoted to empowering communities through economically and environmentally sustainable development, spent several months on the ground in India this spring, taking surveys and collecting information about India's water issue.

Today, they've released a summary of their findings in a collaboratively written Water Book, available for free download on their site.

The book is meant as a two-way dialogue and WDA encourages feedback and comments on each section. As the issues they describe are very similar to those that our project addresses, I encourage each of you to take a look and join the dialogue.

Team Water is Twitting!

We just set up an account on Twitter and invite all of you to follow us there for more frequent project updates & reflections. Our username, "hublipaani", refers to the city we are working in (Hubli) and the Hindi word for water (paani).

For those of you who haven't heard of it, Twitter defines themselves as follows:

Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

You can also learn more at their FAQ page or sign up for an account here.

SLUMS

One of the greatest learning experiences this far was visiting the slums. A translator, another fellow, and myself went on an outing to conduct surveys of numerous homes in the poorer area of town. The purpose of the survey was to obtain data on the history of health in each household. We were most interested in understanding each family’s access to drinking water and the health of children less than 15 years of age (most notably the incidence of diarrhea or other symptoms in the households per month).
Our second interviewee was at first hesitant to speak us. Our translator conveyed to him, “They are students from America…They would like to speak with you--they are here to help.”
We were then invited to remove our shoes and come sit inside. The three of us shared one mat, the head of the household sat comfortably no more than two meters across from us on the other wall, in minimal light. My back was pressed up against the foundation of the dwelling, my socks tucked under me trying to remain as small as possible in the tiny, dark space. The residence consisted of two rooms and had a diminutive area for bathing--No toilet, no fan, no door, and no beds. It is in this home that in the couple raised their four children. Only one of them has been lucky enough to attend school.
During the thirty minute interview the man shared with us details of his personal life and that of his family’s. In hearing about their lifestyle, I began to comprehend to a greater degree the importance for our work. The more concerning answers we received during the interview, were from the following questions:
Translator: “What is your source for drinking water?”
Interviewee: “The bore well”.
Translator: “Do you treat your drinking water before you drink it?”
Interviewee: “Haha… No. It looks clean-- Why should I do that?”
Bore wells are sites that provide drinking water for communities. However, many communicable water borne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, etc arise when bore wells are not adequately maintained and remained uncovered. The neglected site may be situated next to a garbage dump or may be affected by bacteria from nearby sewage piping. Bore wells then become improper areas to obtain drinking water and may carry water borne diseases. Furthermore, they may become sites that attract mosquitoes carrying malaria.
As an outsider, I realize there is a need to provide these people with access to clean water, but the surprising factor is, that many families remain unaware of the problem. They do know that it is the water that influences numerous disease outbreaks.
The closing survey questions were also informing:
Translator: “Would you use a treatment method if provided with one?”
Interviewee: “Not necessary. Water is clean. Why would I need it? Filters too expensive.”
It was in hearing the answers to these questions that it became clear that my team faces many challenges ahead. I realized it will not only be a challenge to physically implement water filtration systems into households, but more so a societal challenge to convince the people why they need to use the filtration system. Also, it is clear that in the future we must explore microfinance opportunities to disseminate the inexpensive filters on a mass scale that we find to be most effective, given the conditions of the community. This will be important to ensure that future filtration systems remain affordable and another opportune project to give back to trained individuals in the community.
My experience in the slums was an exceptional learning experience. It helped me to further understand the characters of these communities and catch an intimate glimpse into their lives. As anyone may guess, it was awakening to see how these families live, with the few amenities they have. While it was discouraging to learn about the challenges which await us, it is also thrilling to know that the USC team has the potential to positively impact the daily lives of many.

Team Water in the News

Reuters got wind of our project and sent out this dispatch. Look for it in newspapers of high journalistic integrity near you.

July 4th: Belated Entry

This was written on July 4th, and I've transcribed it here:

[Written originally in the cafeteria in the morning]

My first bucket shower was a success. I don't exactly have soap or shampoo yet, but that's a work in progress. I'd like to order breakfast, but I don't know what the menu means, nor can I communicate with the cooks. I should get an English-Kannada dictionary some time soon. I'm all moved into my room now. The mattress is okay, and the sheets are iffy, but I was so tired that it didn't matter.

We bug-bombed the room to kill mosquitos, and it seems to have worked for the most part. I did, however, find this huge beetle that was as large as the first digit of my thumb. That was a site.

~

So I ordered breakfast. I'm not sure what it was called, and I didn't really like it either. I had two doughnut-like things, except I wasn't so lucky as for them to be doughnuts. It came with these two weird sauces, too. Not my favorite. Then there was this goofy yellow rice stuff with crusty white stuff on it. My little Indian friends (students sitting at the table with me, uninvited, but welcome) tell me its called Alaki. There's about 70 Indian kids in here wearing NCC uniforms. It means National Cadet Corps. The kids are really friendly...

[End of journal entry]

P.S. I now have shampoo and soap and stuff. I went to "Big Bazaar" (an Indian Target, kind of). Bucket showers, however, I will not get used to. Not a fan.

P.P.S. I now know how to order breakfast! I like "Palau" (kind of like fried rice) and Baji (deep fried dough-balls). The food here is delicious, but not very healthy.

July 3rd: Belated Entry

So I finally figured out how to get this blog thing to work. :-)

The following is my stream of consciousness trail of thoughts that I wrote down on my first day here:

Tired. Anxious. Hungry. Dirty. Hopeful. All are what I am. One of which I hope to remain in the morning.

~

Our flight from SFO to Shanghai was wonderful. There was a whole row in which I could lie down and the food was great. I hadn't slept for two nights before last, and was out like a light in a jiffy.

~

[Personal paragraph omitted]

~

India has very red Earth, but is otherwise a very green place. I like the people, from what little I can say of them. It is, however, frustrating not knowing the language here. That will certainly hinder me to some extent, but I am glad that most of the educated individuals that I will be working with do know English somewhat.

~

A liter of water here cost me 14 Rupees, which is 1/3 of a dopllar. I have yet to take an auto rickshaw somewhere, but I am told that that shouldn't cost me more than thirty Rupees.

~

The weather is nice here It's about six in the evening, and the breeze compliments the 70 degree weather quite well.

[End of journal entry]

P.S. It is really hot and humid here. It reminds me of back home (Wisconsin). I am retroactively very happy that L.A. doesn't really have weather.

P.P.S. I've taken auto rickshaws many a time now. They're great, but I'm not sure how safe they really are. I hate haggling with the drivers over prices, but its just part of the culture here. I could care less if something costs me 45Rs or 40Rs (a difference of 17 cents, basically), but I don't want to get taken advantage of.

Skype Reunion: Pre-Departure Conference Call

After bonding over several sleepless nights of brainstorming and furiously writing and revising a grant proposal together into the wee hours of the morn, Alex, Nanda, and I had resorted to email banter for the last month as I headed to Shanghai for an internship, Nanda bunkered down in the office of a medical research company, and Alex remained at USC for a summer research gig.

Yesterday, in preparation for Alex, Kimberly, and Christine's departure today for India, Alex, Nanda, and I reunited over Skype. Needless to say, it was a quasi-emotional moment as I was able to revert to English and hear those unmistakably mid-West and Indian accents after a month of Mandarin. The main purpose of our call was to update each other on our efforts, concerns, and goals. A summary follows.

• Mobile vs. Laptop Platform Debate
• The question of whether our software will be easier to disseminate and use as a mobile phone-based app or laptop-based system is an important issue and, while it will regardless by laptop-based this summer, we want to take note of the accessibility of laptops and mobile use proficiency we encounter in India
• Focus on Source
• Don't go right to the solution, see what is causing the problem
• Preventative solutions are often easier and more permanent
  
• Build with People
• Build something with people, not for people
• One, they'll value it more
• Two, they'll know how to fix it
  
• Ask Filter
• We can't always work with every family within a community so a selection process is needed
  
• Choose families based on proactivity
• Those that ask to participate are both more likely to need our help and more likely to remain proactive and maintain their system
  
• Think in Actions Not Wishes
• Aid work often involves a depressing number of obstacles and failures
  
• Always think 'What can I do to fix this?' not 'I wish this had happened...'.
  
• Time Budget for Hospitality
• Indians are hospitable and love to entertain
  
• Expect to spend an hour or more introducing yourself, pleasantries, etc.
• Negotiate Plan with NGO
• Keep them informed
• Make benchmarks with them
• Local Materials
• Strive for water tech systems based on local materials
  
• Cheaper and more easily accessible

To those who have been to India or participated in aid work elsewhere, send us feedback!
What are your best tips? Did we miss anything? Are we flat wrong on any points? Are Indian clinics more likely to adopt a patient data tracking program that requires a laptop to use or that is accessible via mobile phone?