Bangladesh Arsenic Relief Fundraiser

Brushstrokes
for Bangladesh

Millions drink arsenic-laced water daily — and it's women and children who carry that burden. I'm painting small works of art to raise money for water purifiers. Every sale goes directly to relief organizations on the ground.

See the Paintings Learn More
20M+People exposed to arsenic
57%Of tube wells contaminated
$350Cost of one household filter
100%Of sales donated

The Crisis

The world's largest mass poisoning — still happening now

In the 1970s, millions of shallow tube wells were drilled across Bangladesh to provide "safe" water away from surface contamination. What wasn't known was that many tapped into arsenic-rich aquifers. Today, over 20 million people are exposed to unsafe levels daily.

Chronic exposure causes skin lesions, cancers, and cardiovascular disease. Children suffer developmental harm. It is slow, invisible — and entirely preventable with the right filtration.

Simple household filters can reduce arsenic to safe levels for as little as $350 per family. The barrier isn't technology. It's access.

A boy draws a bucket of water from a well in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Photo: Palash Khan / Corbis via Getty — via Undark Magazine

Who Bears the Burden

When water is unsafe, the weight falls on some more than others

👩

Women

Fetching water is considered women's work in many rural Bangladeshi communities. They walk hours each day, often unaware of the toxicity. Long-term arsenic exposure causes skin lesions and heightened cancer risk — leaving them unable to work or care for their families.

👧

Children

Children are sent to collect water, missing school in the process. Developmental arsenic exposure affects cognitive development and increases vulnerability to illness. The harm compounds silently across years of drinking what appears to be clean groundwater.

🏘️

Rural Communities

In rural Bangladesh, the tube well is often the only water source for miles. With no alternatives and no money for testing, families have no choice. Entire communities face elevated rates of arsenicosis — a slow poisoning with no antidote, only prevention.

The Paintings

Mini works. Real impact.

Each piece is original and hand-made. 100% of every sale goes directly to water relief organizations in Bangladesh.

Want to commission a piece? Every painting is one of a kind. If you'd like something custom — a landscape, a portrait, a memory — reach out and we can arrange a commission. All proceeds still go to the fund.

To purchase, email brushstrokesforbangladesh@gmail.com with the painting title.

About the Artist

Meet Nazifa Arna, founder of Brushstrokes for Bangladesh

Nazifa Arna

Nazifa Arna

Founder & Artist

Hi everyone! I'm a student living just outside of Philadelphia, and painting has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. What started as a childhood love for crafts and color slowly grew into a real passion — I'm entirely self-taught, learning new mediums through YouTube, from watercolor to gouache to acrylic.

My family is originally from Bangladesh, and the arsenic water crisis is something I grew up hearing about at home. It's a problem that's been quietly affecting millions of families for decades, and the more I learned, the more I wanted to do something about it — especially knowing how disproportionately it impacts women and children.

Science has always been a big part of who I am too, and that's what drew me to this specific issue. Clean water isn't just a humanitarian need, it's a solvable one, and I wanted to put my art to work for a cause that matters.

That's how Brushstrokes for Bangladesh came to be: small paintings, made with care, with every dollar going toward getting families access to safe water. Thank you so much for being here and supporting this. It means more than you know, and I really hope you love the painting. 🎨

How This Works

From brushstroke to clean water

1

You buy a painting

Each mini painting is an original, hand-made piece. You own a real work of art.

2

100% is donated

Every cent from the sale goes directly to vetted organizations providing water purification in Bangladesh.

3

Filters are built

Organizations source, build, and install household arsenic filters — prioritizing the families most at risk.

4

Families get clean water

Women and children are freed from the burden of contaminated water. Communities heal. Life changes.

Where the Money Goes

Organizations doing real work on the ground

WaterAid Bangladesh

Works directly with communities to provide safe water, sanitation, and hygiene. Has reached over 2 million people in Bangladesh with sustainable water access programs.

wateraid.org →

BRAC Water & Sanitation

Bangladesh's own leading development organization. Their WASH program focuses on arsenic mitigation and trains community health workers to test wells and distribute filters.

brac.net →

Basmah

A humanitarian organization dedicated to providing aid and sustainable support to communities in need — bringing resources and relief directly to those who need it most.

basmah.org/clean-water →