The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated school buses, playgrounds, uniforms, equipment and other supplies to organizations throughout Brazil in April.
The humanitarian efforts in the states of Pernambuco, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasilia and Roraima will help serve those in need. This exemplifies the Church’s desire to care for those in need by following the example of Jesus Christ.
Below are brief descriptions of these efforts as provided by the Church’s Autossuficiência Brasil Facebook page.
1. Buses for rural students
Donations from the Church will help school attendance in the rural regions of Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil. In April, the Church donated buses to the Amigos do Bem, or the Friends of Good, a non-governmental organization that serves people throughout the backlands or countryside.
One of the main challenges facing education in the area is the distance between communities and schools. The new buses will help cut down absenteeism and truancy for about 2,500 students.
The Church also built and equipped a sports court in the city of Inajá, which has benefited about 800 students per year. This initiative not only promotes social inclusion of the region’s youth, but it also incentivizes them to engage in physical and sports activities for a healthier lifestyle.
At the event marking the donations, the founder and president of Amigos do Bem, Alcione de Albanesi, joined representatives from the Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance department in Brazil.
Paulo de Araujo, who is in charge of humanitarian projects for the Church in Brazil, described the visit to the backlands as “wonderful and unforgettable” and said the Church is happy to collaborate with Amigos do Bem to bring love and solidarity to children in the region.
2. School uniforms
The Church delivered 100 school uniform kits on April 24 to APAE in the city of Três Corações to help students in the southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais.
APAE is a non-profit organization that provides social assistance, education and health care to people with intellectual disabilities and autism. The new uniforms ensure that every student, no matter their financial situation, is adequately dressed for school.
The leaders of the Brazil Juiz de Fora Mission, President Marco A. Becegato and Sister Jacqueline Becegato, attended the delivery ceremony.
3. Equipment for a women’s shelter in Pelotas
On April 12, the Church announced a donation to the Casa Lucietty de Apoio a Mulheres em Situação de Vulnerabilidade, or the Lucietty House for Women in Vulnerability, in Pelotas in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.
The shelter serves women at risk of domestic violence and their children. The donation will improve the conditions of the house and build a new playground.
4. Orthotics and prosthetics in Recife
The Church announced a donation on April 24 to Associação de Assistência à Criança Deficiente (AACD), or the Disabled Child Assistance Association, to help the organization modernize the manufacture of orthotics and prosthetics for patients in Recife, Pernambuco.
The donation included new equipment that will help improve the production process, reducing the time it takes to make the products and increase the products’ quality.
This is the third project since 2012 that the Church has done with the private, non-profit entity.
5. Hospital equipment in Taguatinga
The Church gave hospital equipment to the Laboratório de Farmacotécnica do Hospital Regional de Taguatinga, or the Pharmaceutical Laboratory of Taguatinga Regional Hospital, in Brasília, on April 11.
The donation will help the laboratory produce diagnostic solutions and customize medicines for patients around the Federal District, including babies, elderly people and cancer patients.
The laboratory team expressed their gratitude to the Church for helping them in their work for the health of their patients.
6. Humanitarian aid for refugees in Roraima
Representatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were in the cities of Boa Vista and Pacaraima, in the northern state of Roraima, along with the Brazilian Army and several religious leaders to assess the humanitarian actions related to Operação Acolhida, or Operation Welcome.
Operação Acolhida is a large humanitarian task force that provides emergency assistance to Venezuelan refugees and migrants entering Brazil through the border with Roraima, including shelter, food, medical and legal aid, among other services.
