Donations from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members are making a positive difference in the lives of tens of thousands of students in Central and South America. Recent donations in Guatemala, Panama, Honduras, Argentina and Paraguay include school supplies, classrooms and playgrounds, and computers for teaching adults with disabilities.
Guatemala
On Thursday, Nov. 7, the Guatemalan Congress’ Commission of Education, Science and Technology gave special recognition to the Church for donations to several schools.
Congressman Favor Emilio Salazar Cordero was among those who thanked the Church.
“There are thousands of desks, blackboards, tables and chairs that the Church of Jesus Christ and its members have donated in various departments of the country, among them Jalapa, my department, which was prioritized and blessed,” Cordero said. “Thank you very much. The hands that give will never be empty.”
The Church’s donations in Guatemala include 15,000 small desks, new classrooms and new play areas, according to a release on ChurchofJesusChrist.org and the Church’s Spanish-language Newsroom.
Elder Patricio M. Giuffra, General Authority Seventy and first counselor in the Church’s Central America Area presidency, said that donations of furniture and equipment to public schools is part of the Church’s humanitarian efforts to support people in need.
These donations have “the aim of facilitating the teaching-learning process, improving a comfortable and adequate environment for thousands of Guatemalan students,” he said.
Panama
The Church has collaborated with School the World, a non-profit organization that builds schools and trains teachers in rural communities to create environments where public education can thrive, reported the Church’s Spanish-language Newsroom.
Along with School the World, the Church is working to improve schools in Guatemala, Panama and Honduras, including constructing 24 classrooms, installing 15 play areas for primary schools, creating a library with 1,800 books and building a high school, according to another release on the the Church’s Spanish-language Newsroom.
The Church also contributed to building a classroom and recreational park in Camarón Arriba, Panama on Wednesday, Oct. 23. The classroom will immediately benefit more than 300 students and teachers in the town. The school’s director, Verónica Talín, said it will also be a blessing for future generations.
Paraguay
The Church also gave donations to a school focused on helping adults with disabilities in Asunción, Paraguay, in November.
The Center for Vocational Training for Persons with Disabilities trains young people and adults with physical, intellectual and mental disabilities. It offers courses in cooking, crafts, leatherwork and daily life skills, according to a release on the Church’s Spanish-language Newsroom.
A teacher said students at the center will “now have the opportunity to continue dreaming” thanks to the donation.
President Sergio D. Cañellas, second counselor in the Asunción Paraguay Stake presidency, said during an event celebrating the Church’s donation that it is important to give time and support to others.
“As Jesus Christ taught, we must assist all those who need it,” he said.
Argentina
Students at a primary school in Trelew, Argentina, now have access to key educational resources, thanks to a donation by the Church on Tuesday, Oct. 1. The donation was celebrated by the local Minister of Education in the province, José Luis Punta, and the General Director of Primary Education, María José Uzcudún.
The Church also donated equipment and work tools to a school focused on the professional development of people with disabilities in November.
The president of the Association for the Integration of the Disabled, a local non-profit, said the tools will open new opportunities for adults with disabilities, helping them achieve their personal goals in an inclusive environment, according to a news release on the Church’s Spanish-language Newsroom.
