Projects

=HAZARIBAGH SERVICE LEARNING GROUP PROJECTS =

What is the Hazaribagh Service Learning Group? We are an independent group, working in Hazaribagh and we are not affiliated with any NGO or any other organization in that area. We target both workers in tanneries in Hazaribagh and also the community as a whole, meaning the families and schools of the Hazaribagh area. _ During one of our recent site visits, we went to an area in Hazaribagh where many children were playing and cleaned garbage to create a safe environment. We made a sign that reads “Cleaned by the Hazaribagh Service Learning Group, American International School Dhaka” and placed it on the area we cleaned. We hope that we are sending the right message and people will consider where they throw their trash.
 * Project: Playground Clean Up **

We cleaned this area in the hopes that one of our new projects will be able to provide a playground for the children of Hazaribagh.

This was our visit to one of Hazaribagh’s schools; we went to the younger kids on our visit and showed them the different effects of various chemical reactions. We used sulfuric acid to show them the long-term effects of tannery chemicals to skin by applying the acid to gentian covered in a layer of paper (this replicated skin and flesh). We also used flammable chemicals to show the dangers of smoking or other flame related activities done inside the tanneries of Hazaribagh.  On one of our trips to a tannery, we saw a worker smoking right next to a flammable sign, and we thought it was time to teach people that it is not safe, and to teach them the different meanings of different signs.
 * Project: School Visits **


 * Project: Off Site Hours + Research **

We had offsite hours when, instead of going to Hazaribagh, the members of our group took the time to come in on a weekend to take advantage of the computers available in school to research hazardous chemicals encountered in Hazaribagh. After having taken pictures of hazardous chemicals in one of the tanneries on the previous site visit, we researched the chemical names and the effects they caused. We researched the acids and came up with ways to cure the injuries they caused. On several occasions we saw workers smoking next to these types of chemicals. We also decided to have a fund raising event and sold baked goods during lunch time to raise money for first aid kits which we would later distribute to the children of a school in the Hazaribagh community. The funds have not been used yet, but in total we cashed in around 8,500TK in that one day. We also took the time to paint big boxes and place them around the school so that people could donate their first aid kits and/or first aid supplies.


 * Project: Update and Feedback on LifeStraw distribution **

Last year we spent our time distributing LifeStraws (water purifiers) to families within the district of Hazaribagh. This year, we decided to check up on those families and find out whether or not they thought the LifeStraws were beneficial. Unfortunately, they said that they did not all benefit from their water filters and here is why… Many families said that the water filters took too long to purify a small amount of water, that they would rather sell them for money, and that even though their families were not getting sick as often, they felt as though there was not enough improvement for them to continue using the LifeStraws!

We have also lost contact with the provider of the LifeStraw company, so there is no reason for us to continue working or distributing more LifeStraws to families within Hazaribagh, as few families are using them and we no are no longer in contact with the providers. CLICK HERE FOR THE LIFESTRAW PROJECT ON FLICKR




 * <span style="color: #21a5f7; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Project: Lifestraws **

<span style="color: #21a5f7; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">A university in America made it possible for us to spread the use of an exceptional water purifier called` LifeStraws.

<span style="color: #21a5f7; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">This is a large scale project as it requires us to identify about 60 families, teach them the uses, and follow up later to keep track of their progress. In a few site visits, we were able to identify about 30 families, and are planning to find 30 more that fit the criteria we have set for the recipients of the water purifier. We targeted water because it is a huge aspect of their life (workers, wives, and children alike). We noticed three things:

<span style="color: #21a5f7; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">1) Its use in preparing meals <span style="color: #21a5f7; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">2) It's rare (at least, drinkable water is) <span style="color: #21a5f7; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">3) It's a necessity

<span style="color: #21a5f7; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Due to the limited amount of Lifestraws, we considered the factors that would have the allow Hazaribagh citizens to have the maximum advantage. The size of the family, their monthly income, their expenditure on fuel, etc. seemed to be good pointers of their need so we decided to ask these questions on our visits. <span style="color: #21a5f7; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Update: Currently, from our partially complete survey results, a sizable portion of the citizens do face water borne diseases like jaundice and diarrhea is fairly common as well.

<span style="color: #21a5f7; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">We have also gathered water samples from various locations where the residents of Hazaribagh acquire their water, the results from the ICDDR,B are yet to come out. <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-size: 22.4px;">CLICK HERE FOR THE LIFESTRAW PROJECT ON FLICKR````````