Learn
Sierra Leone Quick Facts
- Located in western Africa
- One of the poorest countries in the world
- Recovering from 10 year Civil War
- 60% of people lack access to safe clean water
- 90% of deaths from water borne diseases occur in children under the age of 5
- There are over 1,000 communities in critical need of clean water.
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Sierra Leone Facts
Where is Sierra Leone?
Sierra Leone is located in western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia. Learn More
Last Place
Sierra Leone is one of the poorest country in the world ranking 179 out of 182 countries by the United Nations Human Development Index. The life expectancy of a Sierra Leonian is 41 years of age, with 1 out of every 5 infants not surviving childbirth. 57% live on less that $1 per day.
Source: http://hdrstats.undp.org/countries/data_sheets/cty_ds_SLE.html
10 Year Civil War
Sierra Leone is recovering from a devastating 10-year civil war that went on from 1991-2001. The rebels routinely committed mass murders and systematic rape; destroying whole towns and villages; abducting thousands of women and children to serve as laborers and sex slaves. During the 10-year civil war, thousands had their arms, legs and other body parts cut off.
Amazing Wonderful People
“People here in the US get depressed over the smallest things … these people have so many reasons to be sad, yet they are so happy!”
~Nick Scheske
The Water Problem
60% of the people living in Northern Sierra Leone have no access to safe water. 90% of deaths from water borne diseases occur in children under the age of 5. There are over 1,000 communities in critical need of clean water now!
100 Wells by 2011
The Bombali District in the City of Makeni has a population of 200,000 people with no sustainable water supply. Our goal is to install 100 wells for 100,000 people by the end of our rotary year, June 2011.
Cost of a well
$4,250
The Fishers Rotary club’s first two wells in Sierra Leone were dug during the fall of 2008. These wells marked the beginning of a long-term project to provide a local source of fresh and sanitary water to over 100,000 people in Sierra Leone, Africa. The human impact of drilling a single well and providing fresh clean water to a village in Sierra Leone can best be understood by watching this brief film and seeing their reaction firsthand.
We are in the final stages of our goal of 100 Wells by 2011, and with your help have changed tens of thousands of lives. Please consider joining our project by providing your experience, connections, ideas, and passion.