
TOPSHOT - Children play football in front of the former hospital building at the Roca Agua-Ize, located on the east coast of Sao Tome, capital of Sao Tome and Principe, on August 10, 2026. Founded in 1854 by Joao Maria de Sousa e Almeida, the First Baron of Agua-Ize. It was the first large plantation (roca) on the island to introduce industrial-scale cocoa cultivation. It grew into a fully self-sufficient town with over 1,000 workers, shops and a renowned hospital built in 1928. The site forms part of the Great Rocas of Sao Tome and Principe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, the site is notable for its monumental remains, notably its old, ruined hospital overlooking the sea, and bears witness to the poignant history of colonial production. (Photo by Daniel BELOUMOU OLOMO / AFP via Getty Images)

