EducAid School Ropolon started in September 2002. Ropolon village is very typical in Sierra Leone in having no water clean provision. This picture shows a child collecting the swamp water used by Ropolon residents. Sierra Leone suffers from some of the worst infant (less than 2 years old) and child (less than 5 years old) mortality rates in the world. Much of this is caused by children drinking polluted water - like this water shown here.

The British Government's Department for International Development (DfID) generously agreed to try to help and funds were found to build a well. The timing did not work in 2002 for the opening of the school - a weather window exists in which construction has to be finished. Digging cannot occur during the rains which last from May to October. Therefore, the digging started in late 2002.

The water table was reached in early 2003. Used properly, this new well will impact directly on the number of children who die of water borne diseases in Ropolon as well as reducing family illness levels, in addition to making the process of water collection more simple.