A Year Later: 100% Passed their Exams!

Life for the students and staff at New Apostolic Church Primary School was not easy before the school's well was rehabilitated last year.

"There was a great challenge for me as [the] head of [the] school because we had no source of good drinking water in the school compound by then. Our children had to go down [to] the nearby swamp to fetch water which was not pure for drinking," said 50-year-old headteacher Fatmata Kolokoh, whom we initially spoke to when we first visited the school.

She continued: "The teachers had to wait for those who went out to fetch water before they [could] start teaching. It was a great concern for me because it was telling poorly on the academic performance of the school children. The teachers were not able to complete their syllabus because they wasted a lot of time waiting for the children who [went] down [to] the swamp to fetch water."

But since their well was rehabilitated, life has dramatically improved for everyone.

"I'm so happy right now as the head of the school to have this facility in the school," exclaimed Fatmata. "It has eased the burdens on the pupils and the teachers in terms of having access to clean and safe drinking water. The performance of the school has greatly improved compared to previous years. This year we have 100% passes in the just-concluded public exams, all because my teachers have full access to the pupils, and they are paying attention to their learning."

She went on to describe other changes they have been able to implement since the well's rehabilitation last year.

"One of the greatest achievements is that it has helped with sufficient water in our building project because this year, we are planning to expand the school. All the water is from this water facility, and I [am] not paying labor to fetch me water for the molding of blocks. I have it right in the school compound," concluded Fatmata.

Fatmata standing outside the rehabilitated well.