In a rural community in Sierra Leone, a group of students decided to dream for their community. Gathering key stakeholders, they brought together the village chief, Muslim Iman, and Christian pastor came together to consider their community’s development. After surveying the dreams and assets of the whole, they determined to build a water well to provide safe, clean drinking water for the village of 400 households.

Working alongside each other, the community built the well, drew up rules for conduct around the well, started a savings plan for ongoing maintenance and determine a committee to oversee its care.

What they could not have known at the time was the impending Ebola outbreak that would cripple Sierra Leone and surrounding African nations in the coming few months.

Because of the care and ownership this community took for the well and their own safety, this well remained one of the only sources of clean, safe drinkable water thoughout the crisis.

To this day, the only engagement from the western world was a small, one-time donation made to purchase the original materials. With $8,000 USD, the direction of local leadership, and a community committed to its own development, this water project remains a beautiful example for the African Leadership network.

We never walk alone and play the role each was meant to play. And with that, the world gets better, community by community.