Work!

A little bit now about the first week at ENPHO (Environment Public Health Organisation - www.enpho.org - for those who are interested!)

It's lunchtime on Friday at the new office. Didi (which literally means 'older sister' but is also used when referring to house keepers), has just plonked a sweet tea at my desk. She does this about three times a day which I'm starting to really get into - and partially expect (which I will have to be careful about!). I work in a building about 1 hour by public transport or 20mins by bike from where we're living. There are about 35 employees spread over 4 levels. The bottom level is admin staff, the second level is a lab, I'm on the third and share a small office with an anthropologist from Bangladesh and a Nepali intern who is about to go to Germany to complete her Masters. And then above me sits various managers and a conference room. Whilst the layout seems quite hierarchical, it is anything but with managers, interns, volunteers and other staff constantly bantering and chuckling in a sincere sense which gives the place a nice feel. There are also about another 70 staff spread throughout Nepal at rural postings. I should also mention that whilst ENPHO has a constant turnover of volunteers, besides a guy from Holland who has been here for a year and a half and is about to leave, I'm the only other volunteer......which is kind of nice ;-)

My exact assignment description has changed considerably since I first applied for the position due to staff turnover and acquisition. I have therefore spent the first week  familiarising myself with ENPHO by reading annual reports, going through some WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) and DEWATS (Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Systems) documents, and of course getting to know the peops! With more of an idea of what and how they do things here, I went and saw my boss yesterday to try and firm up a few projects to get me going. My main area of interest is DEWATS as it specialises in wastewater treatment for developing countries in a very practical manner, taking into account the locally available resources, socio economic factors, gender, and other such fascinating aspects which we don't necessarily need to to concern ourselves with in Melbourne to any great extent. It is also an area which my Masters focused more so on so it's nice to be applying some of that knowledge! There are various DEWATS approved treatment systems which have been researched and applied in Nepal and are implemented depending on the communities circumstances, but there is also constant research to try and identify further possible forms of treatment which may be applicable in Nepal. So incredibly I have been handed over a project which uses a technique called RBC (Rotating Biological Contactor) and investigating how practicable it is at reducing contaminant loads to acceptable standards at the community level. A prototype has been put together using locally found parts (which includes parts taken from one of the many Suzuki taxis' in Nepal!). So my task is to now simulate, record, and investigate if this device can be added to one of the DEWATS systems and implemented in appropriate rural communities. Heaps of work involved in all this but for engineering/science geeks it's super exciting!

The other project is assisting Kathmandu to become prepared for a major earthquake! What on earth am I doing working on that you might say? Well let me tell you! We've been warned numerous times now that a major earthquake could happen any day. This fact was conveniently not disclosed before we arrived in the country! Estimates are that as much as 40,000 people would perish if a earthquake struck KTM due to the over population and poor construction of buildings. Scary huh. Then there is also the damage to other infrastructure such as roads, water pipes, the airport, which make an Earthquake here even more catastrophic and ranks KTM the most at risk major city in the world for earthquake disaster. Now Mum, if you are reading this please don't concern yourself - I have a go-bag packed and waiting near my door with water, muesli bars, a compass and spare underpants in case an earthquake strikes ;-)
Seven sites have been identified in KTM valley for displaced person camps which range in size, but in total could accommodate up to 300,000 people. The displaced persons will need shelter, food, and most  importantly, access to water and appropriate levels of hygiene. Due to the location of KTM it could also be up to a week before international aid arrives so god knows how long it could be before people will be able to leave the camps and become self sufficient again. So that is where I come in. Some work is already underway but I will be helping to put together a report which focuses on applying WASH practices to establish the necessary access to water given the possible sources available at those sites, locations of latrines, solid waste removal, communication and distribution of hygiene material to prevent disease spreading and so forth. This project also links in with other organisations such as OXFAM (who are coordinating the overall preparedness project), the Red Cross who have a huge presence with Nepal and also the Army who will be responsible for logistics, to name a few. This project is an absolutely massive task but it's importance is undeniable. Lets just hope all this preparation will not be necessary!

Anyhow, that's some of the initial work in a nutshell. Plenty more to come no doubt once I sink my teeth into the work that lies ahead.

m@