BMS World Mission workers Marcus and Suzanne are seconded to BMS partner, United Mission to Nepal.
They are based in Butwal in the south of Nepal. Suzanne - a doctor - helps equip community health volunteers and workers and Marcus - a former police inspector - helps with security issues and leadership in the church and local communities.
Here Suzanne tells us about some of the vital work she has been doing:
One of my main activities in these last few weeks has been to organise and attend a training workshop on arsenic. Over two million people in Nepal drink water contaminated with arsenic.
How does arsenic get into the water?
Arsenic is present in the layers of rock in the Himalayan Mountains and over many years has been transported in sediments to the plains. In the 1970s when tube wells were first inserted, no one knew that the groundwater was contaminated with arsenic. In fact, it wasn't until the late 1990s that this was discovered.
The World Health Organisation considers safe levels of arsenic to be less than ten parts per billion (ppb). In Nawalparasi District, which neighbours our district, there are levels of over 1,000 ppb in water from some of the tube wells.
Effects
One of the challenges is that arsenic is colourless, odourless and tasteless; people can drink it for years and be unaware of the effects it is having on their bodies.
After a while though they suffer from things such as general lethargy, skin changes particularly affecting the hands and feet, nerve damage and eventually cancers.
We were told of a village where no-one is over 54 years of age as a result of people dying early from arsenic related cancers. The health effects of arsenic are catastrophic but fortunately, there are things that can be done to limit the damage and save lives.
Filters
We were shown how arsenic levels in water could be tested using a simple kit. We were also given information about different water-filters that remove arsenic and were then shown what is probably the best household filter currently in existence.
As part of the training, we went out into the community and in one village we met people who had been drinking arsenic contaminated water (600 to 800 ppb) for a number of years, that is, until they were supplied with water filters, by the organisation leading our training).
One woman took us into her home and proudly showed us her water filter. When we asked if she only used filtered water, she replied, "of course I do - my hands are getting better".
In another village we met people who were still drinking water contaminated with arsenic (around 300 ppb). Those people were noticeably more lethargic. They told us about someone who had recently died from cancer in their village. He was only 28 years old. His cancer was likely to have been as a result of the arsenic.
Future hope
Before we left, plans were made to distribute filters to that village a few days later.
The photo above shows the hands of a man who had been drinking arsenic contaminated water for a number of years. His hands have now improved but they still show changes in the skin pigmentation and numerous hard calluses due to arsenic.
As a result of the training, I hope that one of UMN's partner organisations will work in this area (with our support). They want to raise awareness amongst people living in the communities affected, and advocate for solutions at a district level.
Having spoken to a few colleagues in UMN, I think my work in this field is likely to escalate. Surely, safe drinking water is a basic human right?
Are you a professional who feels called by God to use your skills to help people in situations of poverty? Click here or e-mail opportunities@bmsworldmission.org