Students at 28 schools in Guatemala are receiving new desks, five reservations in Colombia are gaining access to clean drinking water, and 480 soup kitchens in rural Peru will have new cooking kits — all thanks to recent donations by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Below is a glance at some of the ways the Church and its members have served people in various countries across Latin America in August, September and October.
Mexico
As part of an effort to improve nutrition in vulnerable communities in Mexico City, the Church donated equipment for processing dairy products to an organization called Alimentos para Todos (Food for All) on Oct. 23. In addition to a variety of other food products, the organization will now be able to produce cheese, cottage cheese and butter.
Also in October, the Church donated mobile tents to Médicos Sin Fronteras de México A.C. (Doctors Without Borders in Mexico). The tents will allow the organization to have more spaces for people to receive quality medical care in northern Mexico and benefit approximately 12,000 people a year.
Guatemala
A total of 28 schools in San Pedro Ayampuc, Guatemala, received school furniture donated by the Church in October. The donation consisted of 1,870 desks, 98 marker boards and 114 chairs — benefiting more than 4,000 students and 114 teachers.
Argentina
The Church donated high-tech equipment to Hospital SAMIC Eldorado in Misiones, Argentina, in August. The equipment will help doctors diagnose and research oncological diseases.
El Salvador
Members of the San Salvador El Salvador Stake joined with the Foundation for the Development of Women (FUNDEM) to hold Visual Health Day on Oct. 14. Almost 100 people from San Marcos and San Salvador benefited from the event, receiving free eye exams and purchasing glasses at a lower cost.
A few days earlier, on Oct. 21, members of the Apopa El Salvador Stake participated in a reforestation day in Guazapa, El Salvador. They planted more than 200 fruit and timber trees.
Bolivia
On Sept. 22, the Church donated 1,788 desks to benefit educational units in 14 municipalities in rural areas of La Paz and Pando, Bolivia. Eustaquio Huayta, vice president of the Association of Municipal Autonomous Governments of the Department of La Paz, said in a Bolivia Newsroom release: “Education is the path to the development of people and the country, that is why we thank the Church for this important donation.”
Members of the Calacoto Ward, La Paz Bolivia Calacoto Stake, held a service activity in August benefiting children hospitalized with cancer and their families. They donated toys, clothes, TVs, DVDs and more. Some installed shelves to hold the donated toys, while others prepared a meal for the families.
More than 200 Latter-day Saint young adults visited three shelters in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, on Aug. 12, to minister to children and elderly individuals. The same day, members of the Santa Cruz Bolivia El Bajío Stake held an annual blood drive in coordination with the Santa Cruz Regional Blood Bank.
The municipality of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, recently recognized the Church for its service to the community. Elder Tito Ibáñez, Area Seventy, received the award on behalf of the Church, which was presented by Johnny Fernández, mayor of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, and Gabriela Garzón, president of the city council.
Colombia
Thanks to a donation from the Church to WaterAid — a nonprofit bringing clean water and toilets to vulnerable populations — some 4,200 people from five reservations in La Guajira, Colombia, will receive clean drinking water. A ceremony for the donation was held in October.
Honduras
To help some of the most vulnerable communities in Cortés, Honduras, local members of the Church recently donated books, clothing and groceries. Alexa Solórzano, governor of Cortés, said in a Honduras Newsroom release dated Oct. 22: “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has always caught my attention because of the active way in which its members participate in serving others.”
Peru
In collaboration with Peru’s Ministry of Development and Social Inclusion, the Church donated 480 cooking kits for soup kitchens in rural areas on Oct. 6. Read more about the deliveries made to the cities of Cusco, Puno, Cerro Colorado and Huaral.
A group of Latter-day Saints in Ayacucho, Peru, cleaned the entrance to the Huatatas River on Oct. 28, so visitors and tourists could more fully enjoy the area.
In August, 165 volunteers from the Church helped clean streets in San Juan de Lurigancho, a district in Lima, Peru. They participated as part of the “Clean Neighborhoods” campaign of San Juan de Lurigancho, which aims to care for the environment and reduce pollution in the area.
A similar effort to beautify the community happened in Huancayo, Peru, on Oct. 21. Latter-day Saint volunteers worked with local officials to clean green areas, roads and pools in the city.
In Callao, Peru, about 40 Latter-day Saints helped Operation Smile Peru during a 10-day campaign from Oct. 18-28, as the organization provided free operations to children with a cleft lip or palate. The Church also donated materials and equipment used during the campaign.
Also in Peru in October, the Church donated equipment to the International Police of Peru — Interpol and equipment to a military school in Trujillo.
