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Organizations

Introduction

Early on in the arsenic crisis there used to be more organizations committed to assisting people with arsenic.  Much of that now has disappeared.  

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An April 1, 2021 editorial in the Bangladesh English language daily  "The Financial Express"  makes that clear.  

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The uproar over arsenic menace more than two decades ago has, for strange reasons, died down. A silent but sure killer, arsenic was first detected in the country's ground waters in the mid nineties, and soon its pervasive presence did strike alarm from all conscious quarters and calling for urgent government actions....[now nearly 20 years years later] nearly 20 million people are still drinking arsenic-laced water in Bangladesh although millions of wells were tested and thousands of safe ones having been bored to avert a major health crisis...It is indeed surprising that whatever alertness and mitigation efforts were in place some twenty years ago seem to have dissipated for the most part.

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​Although there were numerous organizations assisting with arsenic concerns in the earlier years of the crisis, including MCC, there are currently relatively few working on arsenic mitigation, other than the Bangladesh government.

 

Extensive research has been done and is continuing, but extension and mitigation work is lacking in many areas.  So it is hoped that this website, in some small way, will help others assist those who need it in Bangladesh.

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However, there still are some organizations working hard to make a difference regarding assistance to people suffering from the effects of arsenic poisoning.

Organization Examples

Below, six such organizations are highlighted.  Note that only two of the programs, SIM and Chemists without Borders, have stand alone arsenic programs.  Money donated to these programs stays with the programs. 

 

The other four organizations are much larger, and the arsenic work is wrapped into a larger water and sanitary program.  If interested in donating to  those organization, you may want to call to see if you can donate specifically to arsenic work, before you donate.

BRAC

BRAC_edited.jpg

BRAC is an  international development organization based in Bangladesh.  In terms of employees, it is considered  one of the largest  non-governental development organizations in the world.  In addition to Bangladesh, it works in 11 other countries.   Its arsenic work is rolled into its Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Programme (WASH).  Its  arsenic work within this program is to provide appropriate technologies in areas where arsenic and other contaminants, such as iron and salinity, are present.

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A fact sheet with  a synopsis of its WASH work in rural areas of Bangladesh can be seen at:

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http://www.brac.net/program/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Factsheet-WASH-in-Rural-Areas.pdf

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Bangladesh/Headquarters
BRAC Centre
75 Mohakhali,
Dhaka-1212
Bangladesh


Communications
Tel: 88 02 2222 81265.
Ext: 3161, 3182, 3191
Fax: 88 02 2222 63542
E-mail: info@brac.net

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Its North American contact information is:


110 William Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10038
USA

Tel: 1 212 808 5615 
Fax: 1 917 591 5804
E-mail: info@bracusa.org

SIM - Bangladesh

SIM_IM000705.jpg

A picture of Household Arsenic Removal Filter used by SIM

SIM - Bangladesh has been working in arsenic mitigation for 20 years.   It works in concert with government health and development objectives in regards to mitigating  arsenic in Faridpur District.

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According to SIM - Bangladesh arsenic webpage: 

 https://simbd.org/appp/

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The vision of SIM Bangladesh’s APP Program is “everyone

drinking water fit for life”.  To achieve this vision the program

has four areas of work:

  1. Awareness Raising of the dangers of arsenic,

  2. Tubewell Water testing for arsenic concentration,

  3. A remedial solution by way of a Household Arsenic Removal Filter, and

  4. Arsenicosis Patient Treatment Program.

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See video of SIM  Bangladesh arsenic program on "What can be done" page - click here to see it.

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Read another story about SIM Bangladesh program here.

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Contact information:

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SIM Bangladesh :

Phone: +88-0447-800-5870

Email: jake.martinson@sim.org

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SIM Canada
10 Huntingdale Blvd
Scarborough, ON M1W2S5, Canada
Tel: 416 497 2424

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SIM USA
P.O. Box 7900
Charlotte, NC 28241, USA
Tel: 1 800 521 6449

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Other contact information on how to donate:

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https://www.sim.org/donate

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WaterAid is an international non-governmental organization, focused on water, sanitation and hygiene.  It works in many countries around the world. 

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It has partnered with numerous organizations in Bangladesh to assist in the relief of the effects of lack of clean water and poor sanitation amongst poor villages.  Its arsenic work is part of  its Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, Program (WASH). 

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WaterAid has been working in Bangladesh since 1986, reaching over 9.5 million people across the country with water, sanitation, and hygiene services.

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Part of their work with arsenic is treating arsenic contamination in our project areas. For example in the municipality of Kolaroa located in the Satkhira district, WaterAid has been implementing a simple and affordable arsenic treatment system to remove both arsenic and iron from groundwater.   Click on the arrow  to see an  example of their work.​

 

WaterAid

For more information on their work in Bangladesh click on  the following website:

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https://www.wateraid.org/bd/rural-wash-programme

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WaterAid Bangladesh

House 97/B, Road 25

Block A, Banani

Dhaka 1213, Bangladesh

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Phone:  88 02 58815757

Email:  wateraidbangladesh@wateraid.org

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WaterAid - US
WaterAid America Inc.
233 Broadway, Suite 2705
New York, NY, 10279, USA.

Phone: +1 212-683-0430

Chemists without Borders

Chemists without Borders.png

Chemists Without Borders is a non-governmental organization involved in international development work designed to solve humanitarian problems through chemistry and related activities. 

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The organization started work in Bangladesh in 2005 focusing on the arsenic crisis.  In 2014 they started work in high schools.   They are presently modeling a project that involves arsenic mitigation in high schools and then to the surrounding villages.  For more information on the project, click here.

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For a video of their work click on the arrow.

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Contact Information:

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 https://www.chemistswithoutborders.org/index.php

 

Phone: +1 (408) 410-7137

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Donation Information

 https://www.chemistswithoutborders.org/support-us.php#Join%20Us

Dhaka Community Hospital

Started in 1988, Dhaka Community Hospital Trust (DCH Trust) is a Trust-owned private, non-profit and self financed organization providing health care for low-income underprivileged people.  Besides basic health care services, it also works in disaster management, arsenic mitigation, safe water supply and community based development programs, in an manner affordable to both rural and urban areas.

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DCH Trust is the organization that brought the arsenic issue to the forefront in the late 1990s.  Beside care for arsenic patients, they have partnered with numerous research and mitigation programs.

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Their website is:

https://dchtrust.org/

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Contact information:

90/1 Boro Moghbazar Wireless Railgate, Dhaka 1217
Call : 88-02-9351190,
8314887
01711-194576
Fax: 88-02-9351190-1
E-mail: dcht87@gmail.com

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Oxfam has been working in Bangladesh starting in 1970, even before it gained independence.  It partners with many different organizations and levels of government within the country.  Like BRAC and WaterAid, it is a large organization with arsenic work part of its Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, Program (WASH).  

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Below is a video of an iron and arsenic removal unit installed in the northern part of the country.  Note that while the narration is in Bengali, there are English subtitles.

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Oxfam

Contact Information:

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Oxfam America
226 Causeway Street, 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02114-2206

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(800) 776-9326

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Donor Inquiries
donorinfo@oxfamamerica.org

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Oxfam in Bangladesh

Media and Communications Coordinator

AJM Zobaidur Rahman

Email: ajrahman@oxfam.org.uk

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Read more regarding the arsenic sitution at the following links:

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