Freetown — Australian high commissioner to Sierra Leone has pledged his country's commitment to ensuring that Sierra Leone attains the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

Addressing journalists at the country lodge in Freetown commissioner William Billy Williams said they were committed to projects that would promote local community development.

"Access to safe drinking water is one of the targets of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and we are pleased to partner with Movement for Assistant and Promotion of Rural Communities (MAPCO) in this project," he said.

Williams said they expected that the wells would make a substantial improvement to the lives of people in Kanga and Gonda communities in Bonthe and Moyamba districts in the southern province.

He explained that the project would lead to the construction of several wells fitted with hand pumps, adding that it was expected to generate numerous benefits for communities concerned since most lack pure water.

Williams said according to a need assessment report communities had relied on local streams for water supply which completely usually dry up during the dry season.

He said the project was estimated at Le36, 500,000 and would be financed through the operations of a small grant programme called direct aid programme (DAP) which the high commission administers with funds provided by the Australian government.

Programme director of MAPCO Francis Lavally said his organization has demonstrated the ability to undertaker several development projects in the south, east and northern regions of the country since 1986.