After the hydrogeology training from ACWADAM,
the team of Kalike Organization had water quality session on the final day (6th
April 2017) of the ongoing workshop series (3-6 April 2017). I and my colleague
Shreyas represented the Fluoride Knowledge and Action Network (FKAN) and
coordinated the water quality training for the Kalike Team, with specific focus
on Fluorosis and Nutrition.
We began with understanding water quality,
standards for drinking water and its implications on human health. Kalike has recently
begun working on the water and sanitation in the district. Yadgiri faces issues
of both water scarcity and water quality, hence defining concrete steps was
essential. This is where the vast learnings of the FKAN could be shared,
discussed and improvised to set of activities, which Kalike could carry out to
mitigate the issue in a focused way. There is scope for cross learning, so that Yadgiri,
for e.g. could implement best strategies from other affected places like Nalgonda,
Jhabua, Nagoan etc.
We had used the Safe Water Learning Cards for
the training. We had split the team into groups of 4 each, ensuring each team
had members who could help/explain other members in need. We had 3 sets of
discussion happening on the Basics of Safe Water and Fluorosis, Solutions to
the issue and lastly the strategies that could be used to bring these solutions
to the ones in need. The discussions were quite interactive, which helped them
to understand different aspects of fluorosis. Look at pics below of the Flash Cards Session in process.
While most of the team knew the methodology to
use field testing kits, we demonstrated the use of Caddisfly kits and Arsenic
testing to answer few specific queries about it. We stressed on the importance
of using the data and doing preliminary analysis. Further, we demonstrated the
team specific surveys to identify cases of dental and skeletal fluorosis in their
study villages (look below). This was to create awareness and advocacy with relevant
stakeholders about Fluorosis in the district, which was lacking according to Kalike.
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| Skeletal Fluorosis Survey Demonstration 1 |
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| Skeletal Fluorosis Survey Demonstration 2 |
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| Arsenic Testing with field kit |
When we played the video on the Network’s work
in Jhabua in MP and Naogaon in Assam, the team was happy to know the effects on
Fluorosis could be reversed in growing children. While discussing the
strategies, most members believed School is an important institution to work
with. There were some members who exclusively worked in Angaanwadis across
villages. They quickly realized importance of using specific nutrition to
counter the effects of Fluorosis. But they pointed out they are challenges, people
would not use Moringa, Amla regularly even after awareness, due to their food
habits. They suggested there may be other local alternatives that could be
worked out, specific to the food habits in Yadgir.
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| Members who work on Nutrition in Angaanwadis |
When we came to discuss the strategies, we
quickly asked the team formulate plan for Yadgiri. We coordinated and came out
with the baseline study plan for the team to work on the next 3-4 months. The
Kalike team which consists of more than 15 Program Officers (part of a newly
developed WASH program) covering the block of Yadgir in the initial phase. The
team now working in Yadgiri, have come from other districts like Kalburagi (Gulbarga),
Koppal, Udupi, Belagavi(Belgaum), Dharwad in Karnataka etc. I hope they take
the learnings of Safe water and Fluorosis, even to these districts. The team is
a mix of both young students and ones with experience in rural development.
This is the strength of the team at Kalike. They look forward with working with
FKAN for guiding them for implementation of solutions as their next steps,
immediately after the baseline study.
Kiran Kumar Sen,
Wipro Sustainability Seeding Fellow,
kirankumarsen@gmail.com
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