Brookside Elementary in Nicholasville has begun a school-wide international service project to build a well at Topene Primary School in Mozambique, Africa. The effort, which is being led by fifth-grade students, is teaching the students and showing the community how to ‘pay it forward’ and help those in need.

According to BES fifth-grade teacher Rachel Butler, the program was initiated after students read a Scholastic Scope article entitled “Thirst”

“Fifth-grade students learned eye-opening facts about the worldwide water crisis,” Butler said. “Astounding statistics related to illness and fatality rates as a result of unclean water motivated these fifth graders to find a way to make a difference.”

That difference comes in the form of the “Water For Topene” project that the students began about two months ago. Students and families across all grade levels at Brookside are fundraising and working to raise money for a functional well to be built for the school.

“The amount of selflessness and kindness being displayed across the entire student body is an amazing thing to witness,” Butler said.

The fundraising efforts will continue until February 2018.

According to Brookside, the company that will construct the well will need about three months to complete the installation. Upon that completion, a school-wide assembly is planned at the end of the school year so that BES students can see the results and communicate with Topene students via Skype.

The school states that the project will “allow us to help foster a culture of kindness and bring global awareness to our students.”

The Topene Primary School, which is located in the Nampula Province of northeastern Mozambique, has a student population of approximately 2,500, yet has no running water or plumbing. With fundraising activities such as entrepreneur fairs, yard sales and private donations, students and their families are working to change Topene’s situation.

To donate online to Brookside Elementary’s “Water For Topene” project, visit https://igg.me/at/pyZ8uKC6w9w or mail a check payable to Brookside Elementary to 199 Brookside Drive Nicholasville KY 40356.