From new classrooms with desks and tables to washrooms from Zambia to Peru, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has helped improve learning environments in schools in several countries in Africa and South America.
Also, the Church is supporting a group in Peru that is helping women older than 50 to learn sewing skills to set up their own businesses. Here’s more about these and other donations.
Moving from the floor to desks
The Shifwankula Primary School in Lusaka, Zambia, provides education for roughly 4,600 students. However, they did not have adequate classroom space, desks and bathroom facilities for the students, forcing the school to have students come in one of three shifts throughout the day.
This only allows students to attend school for three hours, where they often have to sit on the floor.
In May, the Church provided the school with needed relief by funding the building of nine new classrooms and renovating 18 existing classrooms, the Church’s Africa Newsroom reported. Five hundred new school desks were also donated, and eight new toilets were installed in the bathrooms.
Speaking of the deep impact the donations and funding the Church provided the school, Lusaka Zambia Stake President Blessings Mushala said, “What does this mean for our children? It means that 500 students who previously sat on the ground will now be able to learn comfortably at a school desk.
“It means that students who previously were only able to learn for three hours a day will now enjoy more contact time with their teachers and have a greater chance at academic success. It means the quality of education in Shifwankula will be elevated.”
Furnishing 8 schools in Cajamarca
On June 16, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated a total of 771 school furnishings, to eight schools in the Cajamarca area of northern Peru. The furniture included wooden tables and chairs for various classrooms, reported the Church’s Peru Newsroom.
The ceremony began with a student from one of schools singing the national anthem in Quechua, one of the indigenous language. Doris Elita Chuquiruna Alvarado, head of the Cajamarca Zonal Unit of the National Educational Infrastructure Program, thanked the Church for the donation.
Local government officials and Church leaders were in attendance at the event.
Fire protection donations for Tanay
The Church donated fire equipment to the Bureau of Fire Protection in Tanay, Rizal, Philippines, on June 15. The donations included safety gear, rescue and medical tools, computers, printers and projectors, according to the Church’s Philippines Newsroom.
Speaking of the Church’s donations, Argia J. Baniel, the Bureau of Fire Protection senior inspector, said, “The BFP has been empowered to fulfill its mission and make a lasting impact on the lives of countless individuals.
“Through your generosity, you have indirectly served our community by equipping us with these essential tools that enable us to do our job effectively.”
Present at the event were Elder Steven R. Bangerter, General Authority Seventy and the Church’s Philippines Area president, and Bishop L. Todd Budge of the Presiding Bishopric.
Improving schools in Sierra Leone
On Sept. 5, the Church donated a brand new, state-of-the-art washroom to the Kelly Urban Vocational Agricultural Secondary School in Hastings, Sierra Leone, reported the Church’s Sierra Leone Newsroom.
Prior to the donation, students described the situation as inadequate. “Thanks to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we have a modern [washroom] that is clean and safe to use. This will make our school life so much better,” said Fatmata Jalloh, one of the students.
This also allows female students to stay in school during menstruation, where previously they stayed home and missed school.
“Access to proper sanitation facilities is a basic necessity for every school,” said Reverend Claudius, the former principal of The Kelly Urban Vocational Agricultural Secondary School in Hastings and a community elder. “This facility will not only improve the student’s quality of life but also promote a healthy and conducive learning environment.”
It was reported that the facility was more than just a washroom — it represented hope and a commitment to improving the education system in the area, reported the Church’s AFrica Leone Newsroom.
Renovating schools in Kinshasa
Leaders of the Technical Institute of Meteorology, Aviation, and Telecommunication, located in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, approached the Church earlier this year seeking help for their school. The Church agreed to aid in a construction project that would improve the school’s facilities, reported the Church’s Africa Newsroom.
The five-month construction project “included new structures, roofs, floors, blackboards, electric and water infrastructure, and toilet facilities.”
A total of 350 desks were provided to 25 newly repaired classrooms.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the renovated facilities was held on Sept. 8. Over 100 students gathered with local political, education and church leaders to witness the ceremony.
One student who was present at the event said, “Our school has really changed a lot. We are very stunned and very happy to see these changes to our school.”
The updated facilities will benefit 1,500 school students annually.
Sewing machines for Peru
On Sept. 8, the Church donated 20 semi-industrial sewing machines and other supplies to Horizonte de la Unión Venezolana in Peru. The recipients included 20 women over the age of 50, reported the Church’s Peru Newsroom.
Oscar Pérez, president of the Venezuelan Union, expressed his gratitude to the Church for the donation. Sharing their motto: “It is never too late to continue.” Pérez hoped that the donations the recipients received would allow them to maintain a sustainable lifestyle.
