Working in China always came with its own unique set of challenges, where circumstances change at the blink of an eye. When students first joined the project, they were greeted with the problem of flouride contaminated water. Villagers living in parts of Changshun county were suffering from fluorosis and other effects of fluoride exposure.
The students countered this problem by introducing the Moringa oleifera plant, which seeds have the power of removing fluoride in the water by forming complexes. Young shoots of the plant were brought and planted, and the students waited eargerly for their initiative to bear fruit. Soon after, the affected villagers were abruptly re-settled into a newly developed area where the water source is free from fluoride foulness.
The project nevertheless soldiered on, and upon discovering the cultural heritage of the area and how it could empower the locals there, the project focus pivoted towards preserving the local Batik art and leveraging that art to empower the local craftswomen.
