Wendell — After a group of East Wake High School students studied water pollution in their science class, they rolled up their sleeves to help.

And they are doing just that by raising money to buy a $14,000 Play Pump for a playground in sub-Saharan Africa.

With a Play Pump, water from an underground aquifer is pumped to the surface by the twirling of a merry-go-round and is then available for drinking.

Science teacher Natalie Temple in the EWHS Arts Education and Global Studies School showed the students a video about a pump installed by hip-hop artist Jay-Z after a trip to African. And that ignited their passion.

“After we pulled up the video, the more and more we talked about it, it just struck a chord,” said Zander Wheat, a freshman in Temple’s class.

The video showed raw sewage in the streets, and polluted rivers people relied on for drinking water. Temple found the video clip on the United Nations web site.

Jay-Z made the video for MTV, Temple said.

“We can just go to the bathroom and turn on the water to brush our teeth,” said Morgan Brewer, a freshman. “And they have to walk half a mile to the river and get water that’s not even clean.”

Temple said she couldn’t even sleep the first night after students starting signing on to the project. Her head was spinning with ways to raise money.

Already students have raised $800 with a raffle and a school--wide coin drive that netted $300.

Now they are planning a school-wide Eco-recycling fund drive and calling on the community to help.

On April 12 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., residents can drop off old cell phones, ink jet cartridges, DVD and MPV players, laptops and digital camera at the high school.

EcoPhone, a company in Dallas, Texas buys up the outdated goods and recycles them, said Temple.

Students circulated 170 flyers around town eastern Wake county advertising the event. And the students and Temple have more fundraisers planned.

Morgan Brewer and her mom wrote to five celebrities who are often inclined to help with humanitarian projects, including Oprah Winfrey and Clay Aiken.

Temple is writing RTP businesses, asking for support. And the students soon will be selling items geared toward their peers including T-shirts, picture frames, jewelry, and beach towels.

Undaunted by the $14,000 price tag, the students also realize they might not be able to reach the goal this year.

But that’s not going to stop them,

Most of them are freshmen. Wheat suggested forming a club and raising money each year toward the goal until it is reached.

That way, if a big donor doesn’t materialize, he figures the students could raise $3,000 or $4,000 a year alone.

Student emotions about the project run deep.

“After we watched the video in class, it was really touching and emotional, “ said Lachanta Staten. “I was almost crying. When Ms. Temple shared her idea with the class, I really wanted to do it.”

Lewis believes their optimism and determination will go a long way.

“I thought we could actually do it if we just put our minds to it,” she said.

For more information or if you want to contribute, contact Natalie Temple, ntemple@wcpss.net, www.ewhs.wcpss.net. To se the United Nations web site video, go to http://www.un.org/works/water/index.html (lower lefthand corner.) br />