Christine Chandran

Hello!

Welcome to my capstone page! My name is Christine and my project is on Water Hygiene. Throughout this page, you can find my inspiration, goal, research process, and final outcome.



I have always been interested in the sciences, particularly health and medicine. It wasn't until high school when I joined Model UN that I began to explore intersections of health and society. While I always had thousands of questions, I learned how to research and create possible solutions .

My story begins when I was 10 years old. My family traveled to rural areas to conduct medical mission trips. During these trips, I particularly noticed the conditions of the water systems and their relation to many of the health issues that we had treated. This sparked my desire in wanting to create a positive change in these communities. While I was still in India, I started by setting up mini-lessons on basic hygienic practices, mainly using visual demonstration due to the language barrier (as you can see throughout the photos) . As soon as I went home, I started a non-profit organization where I collected money to purchase and install water filters in these regions. From there, I decided to continue my passions in this area by making this my focus for my Capstone Research Project.

Goal

The objective of this curriculum is to provide information to remote communities about the effects of water hygiene and ways of improving water quality through simple, sustainable action. This curriculum will put health into the context of economic situations, climate, and social norms. The primary focus of this curriculum is on the district of Nellore, one of the districts in Andhra Pradesh. Curriculum found to the right -->

Draft

Why Water?

Water is a versatile substance essential to life on Earth. Though it provides no organic nutrients, it is a necessity for all organisms. As humans, we are made up of approximately 65% of water. H2O -the chemical formula for water- appears throughout the complex hydrologic cycle and ties together our Earth’s climate system. Due to climate, gravity, and the shape of the Earth, water will “runoff” to several larger sources, which becomes a crucial stage and the form of water that we use in our daily lives. During tall times, however, it is vital to keep these resources clean and safe to prevent them from disrupting the health of the environment and community members.



About Nellore, India

This region, known for agriculture, is located in the south of India and is approximately 13,076 sq km. The population is 2.96 million, which is split up between five main subdistricts. Four major landmarks mark all four sides of Nellore: the Prakasam District (North), the Chittoor District (South), the Bay of Bengal (East), and the Veligonda Hills (West). These regions play a great role in the water that circulates and is used throughout the region, due to the varying levels of elevation and climate.

Research

In order to create effective solutions, I had to pinpoint the areas that could be improved. I decided to break up my curriculum into different sections:

  1. Importance of clean water

  2. Drinking water

  3. Sanitation (water for other purposes)

    1. Basic Hygiene Facilities: Availability of a handwashing facility with soap and clean water in the household

    2. Open defecation is widely practiced in the region

  4. Portioning water (agriculture, drinking, hygiene, etc.)

  5. Protecting natural water (runoffs, lakes, dams, etc.)

    1. Water-related ecosystem: Major or minor bodies of water or vegetated wetlands, including both natural and man-made.

  6. Protection from pollution

    1. Nutrient pollution

    2. Water reserves

With each section, I decided to write about the current situation and then what could be adjusted for safety purposes, while also adhering to cultural norms and ways of life. I focused on possible diseases and gave suggestions on how to lead a safer lifestyle. To go along with this curriculum, I designed several infographics that were either translated or based off of pictures for easier comprehension.

Project Experience

For my project, I started off by taking all of the information and memories that I have acquired through my past trips and tried to identify what I thought of to be an issue when it came to health. Since I was unable to travel this summer due to the pandemic, I realized that much of my research had to be done through online sources. I had used past Nellore records of water, geographic, and demographic reports to better understand this region. Later, I took an online course from SDGAcademy on Water: Addressing the Global Crisis, which served as a basis for my understanding of how to create healthy and sustainable water systems. I did have to get creative, especially since I needed to account for general lifestyle practices and limited resources. Additionally, though COVID may have changed my plans slightly, I realized this also allowed for me to create a section that accounted for water safety, especially during unprecedented times.

Originally, I went straight to the science portion of the curriculum, breaking down the biology aspect of this topic. I later realized that I probably should start from the basics, especially as I learned from my medical trips, what could be basic knowledge and practices to me could be newer concepts to those from different areas. Therefore, I decided to redesign my curriculum to become easier to comprehend and with direct solutions.

Infographics:

Next Steps...

My capstone project certainly does not stop here. What started off as a simple observation led to a non-profit and later became my theme for research. After researching, brainstorming, and putting this together, I hope to visit this region soon again and actually implement this curriculum. Additionally, I cannot wait to see where my future will bring me, especially as I continue to develop and expand this project to beyond these villages and throughout the world.

Advice for Juniors and Any Future Capstone Researchers

I would suggest choosing a topic that you are really interested in and make sure you are prepared with different plans for your research.

Resources

https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/freshwater/water-cycle

https://spsnellore.ap.gov.in/agriculture-2/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323573628_Water_Quality_Assessment_in_Terms_of_Water_Quality_Index_in_Gudur_Area_Nellore_District_Andhra_Pradesh

http://www.comparehomewaterfilter.com/health_effects.html#:~:text=Health%20Effects%20From%20Drinking%20Contaminated%20Water.%20The%20effects,rash%2C%20vomiting%2C%20dizziness%2C%20and%20in%20some%20cases%20death.

http://cgwb.gov.in/district_profile/ap/nellore.pdf