ExquisiteWater Goes International
Who We Are: ExquisiteWater, Inc. is a charitable public health consulting company dedicated to providing clean water to rural and underprivileged communities around the world and to eventually eliminate adverse health effects caused by waterborne diseases. And ExquisiteWater has officially started our first pilot in Nigeria! Our director, Amanda Sunny left for Nigeria on July 5th until the 14th to attend the very successful annual Anambra State Association World Medical Mission and Health Summit 2015. The medical mission consisted of a group of 50 volunteers (physicians, ophthalmologists, pharmacists, nurses, and general volunteers) whom traveled to six rural villages in Anambra State, Nigeria (Agbaghana, Obosi, Ihembosi, Ozubelu, and Oba) with donated prescription eye glasses and pharmaceutical care. In each village, the missions’ team was able to serve at least 1,500 people with a six day total of at least 9,000 people seen; including some individuals whom have never seen a doctor before.
During the Pilot Trip: In the midst of our preliminary trip with the medical mission and health summit presentation, we were able to learn how to manage securing operations within a village as well as the importance of good communication. While Amanda was there, she presented our ExquisiteWater mission for the communities in Anambra State, Nigeria to the 250+ attendees and spoke to the state’s Commissioner of Health and his Special Services Agent, as well as communicating with the state’s governor.
*Upcoming Research Trip and Governor Consultation: ExquisiteWater is now preparing to make our first water testing trip on September 19th, 2015 to Idemili South, Anambra State, Nigeria. The team has been awarded two sponsored tickets through the Best Travel Store, Travel Agency; however, we are still seeking support for two more flight tickets, for our research team of four, as well as support for water testing equipment.
During Research Trip and Governor Consultation: We will test the top surface water sources (rivers, springs, streams or lakes) in three towns found within Idemili South, Anambra State. The research team anticipates these parameter levels to exceed those recommended by the World Health Organization and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The proposed water testing kits to be used are streamlined, low cost, high accuracy and easily managed by a small team of public health professionals. All results will be documented in the form of a research paper and will be presented to the state’s Governor, Dr. Willie Obianno, a representative from the Anambra State Water and Sanitation Department and the Commissioner of Health during the September consultation.
Resulting policies that are implemented will reduce the risk of cancer, thyroid and parathyroid, and skin damage for the rural area population in Idemili South, Anambra State. The resultants or outcome from the focus, pilot area of Idemili study will be extended to the other local Areas of Anambra State. Improved access to safe drinking water will also decrease the loss of manpower within the local community due to ill health of typhoid and paratyphoid fever (an average recovery period of these illnesses is between one to three weeks); instead, there will be a boost in healthier and vital community which will factor into an increase in local GDP.