An overwhelming student population but inadequate classrooms meant uncomfortable conditions at the District Assembly School in Kotwi, Ghana, in West Africa.
Then the school received a large donation that changed everything, said Kofi Amankwaa Manu, a member of Parliament in Ghana.
“When I first visited the school and saw teachers and students sitting under these trees studying, I shed tears in front of the humanitarian missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” Manu said. “If this Church has belief in us by providing this facility for us and our children, let us also as parents and community members help our children to excel and rise up.”
Manu made the remarks on April 2 at the official ceremony as the Church donated a fully furnished, 10-room classroom block, a 12-seat sanitation facility and a complete water system to the school.

The school is one of several in Ghana that now have new classrooms, libraries, bathrooms and wells donated by the Church to help students have a more conducive learning environment.
At a March 27 ceremony at the Atwima Kokoben D/A School, a local chief shared his gratitude and commended the Church for thinking about the education and future of the community’s children. “You have done a great service to our children, and it will bless generations,” said Nana Kwaku Duah Gyamfro.
That day the Church gave the school a fully furnished six-unit classroom block with a library and a 10-seat sanitation facility.

Said Manu at the ceremony: “I would recommend your Church to anyone I meet, you do exactly what the Lord has commanded His disciples to be doing.”
Also on March 27, the Church officially handed over to Foase D/A Basic School a 10-room school block, a 12-seat sanitation facility and a mechanized borehole to pump safer water out of the ground for students and teachers to use.
Traditional leaders, community leaders, interfaith representatives, students, parents, teachers and school officials joined local Church leaders at the donation ceremonies. The programs included drumming, local dancing and recitations from the students, as well as remarks from officials.

Kumasi Ghana Bantama Stake President Samuel Appiah attended the events, along with bishops from local wards and Church humanitarian missionaries Elder Brian Dunn and Sister Sharon Dunn.
“These acts of love and service are our little contribution to express our love to our neighbors and to our God as we are taught,” President Appiah said. “We fast every month and set aside these monies for food to be given to the Church to carry out these projects worldwide because we love you and we love our God.”

Atwima Kwanwoma District Director of Education Doris Ofori said, “Words cannot describe our feelings of gratitude to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for coming to the aid of vulnerable and needy communities; you’re indeed touching lives.”
She added, “By these kind acts of service to mankind, you vividly demonstrate your understanding of the Savior’s admonition to love our neighbors.”