July 7, 2010

Bears On A Mission

MACON, Ga. - Sitting in a hotel in southern Mozambique, Mercer University juniors Vanessa Breslin and Jessie Kupstas gathered around with members of the hotel staff at a lobby television to watch the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

 

The game showcased host country South Africa against Mexico, and was a fitting culmination of a 20-day trip that gave the two Mercer soccer players an African experience of a lifetime. The two were among a team of Mercer University students and professors who traveled to the southern African country to help identify mercury pollution and poisoning in artisan gold mining operations.

 

“It was incredible,” Breslin said of the trip. “It was something that once I did it, all I can think about now is more ways in which I can help. Seeing our impact in just doing research was amazing.”

 

The expedition was sponsored by “Mercer on Mission” and partnered 10 Mercer students and two professors with host researchers from the Universidade Eduardo Mondlane in Maputo, Mozambique. The team’s goal was to establish a scientific assessment of the state of mercury contamination so that future precautionary plans can be implemented in the miners’ day-to-day work routine.  

 

Assistant Professor for Biology Kevin Drace said small scale and artisanal gold mining operations, like the ones visited by the student-athletes, play a vital role in the economic landscape in southern Mozambique. However, because of primitive forms for mining for the gold, many miners and their families are exposed to toxic amounts of mercury.

“Widespread contamination due to the inappropriate disposal if mine tailings and other wastes leads to human health problems and long-term environmental damage,” Drace said.

 

Kupstas, a biology major and Breslin, a chemistry major held differing roles in the team’s scope of research in Manica. Kupstas was responsible for sampling soil and water contamination and looked into current mining techniques as to identify how mercury was handled in the gold extraction process.

 

Breslin, focused on the people in the region and helped take mercury poisoning measurements and introduced preventative strategies for miners. She was also among a group that discovered that gold panning techniques exposed workers much more than the burning of mercury, which was previously thought.  

The vast coverage of the team’s research will inevitably turn into a valuable resource for workers in Mozambique, but just as impactful was the experience on Kupstas and Breslin.

 

“I jumped at the opportunity to travel to a place and encounter a culture that I would probably never be able to engulf myself in again,” Kupstas said. “This could be a once in a lifetime experience to do the types of things that most people only dream or talk about.”

 

Amidst the important research being done inside the mines, the two were able to gain of a familiarity with the community through the international language of soccer. Kupstas and Breslin packed a number of soccer balls to give away to local school children and found that no matter the circumstance, the world’s game afforded them a common thread.

 

“Soccer provided all of the students, whether they had ever played soccer or not, with a method of communication with the mining communities we visited,” Kupstas said. “The language barrier disappeared when we pumped up a ball.”

 

Among the hype of the coming World Cup just a border away, the two were even able to coordinate a soccer clinic at a local elementary school, teaching children several drills in-between their research.

 

“It was a great feeling to work with Jessie on this trip,” Breslin said. “We both gained such a great perspective of what we have in America and certainly learned never to take anything for granted. To see what the people there had to deal with on a daily basis really made what we have here seem like a luxury.”

According to a 2009 report by the International Monetary Fund, Mozambique’s economy ranked 119^th out of 181 countries and is still one of the poorest developing counties in the world. Mining and agriculture play an important role in the country’s southern region and both Breslin and Kupstas hope their work will aid in the ongoing progress of the country.

 

“I have acquired a new found appreciation for everything in my life,” Kupstas said. “I go for a run around my neighborhood and look at the grass, the trees, and my house and wonder how I could have been given such a life.”

 

This summer Breslin is continuing to work with Dr. Adam Kiefer to help further investigate their discovery of the dangers of using mercury in the panning process. While the student-athletes realize the importance of their research, the simple act of thinking beyond themselves was reflected by those they reached out to.

 

"The people of Mozambique are extraordinarily nice," Breslin said. "Even if we couldn’t immediately help, it was obvious that they appreciated us being there and willing to lend a hand."

 

The international influence of soccer is never more evident than these summer months every four years and with the eyes of the world keenly fixed on Africa, Breslin and Kupstas are sure to watch all the action with a fond memory of what they accomplished.

“We are very proud of Vanessa and Jessie for undertaking this extraordinary venture,” head coach Grant Serafy said. “They have taken the opportunity to further their studies and to be in service of others.  They are certainly fine ambassadors for Mercer University and our women’s soccer program.”

 

The two also hope their experience will transfer onto the pitch in a positive manner as Mercer opens the 2010 season on August 12 in an exhibition game against Troy.

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