In the last two weeks of August, thousands of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the Africa West Area set aside time and resources to follow the Savior’s invitation to love and serve their neighbors.
Stakes, wards and branches from Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Nigeria, The Gambia and Togo joined the annual All-Africa Service Project, an area-wide effort that turns faith in Jesus Christ into coordinated, practical acts of charity, reported the Church’s Africa Newsroom.
Ministry of healing
In Bamako, Mali, members of the Bamako Branch gathered at the Niamakoro Community Health Care Center to clean the hospital yard and donate sanitation supplies. The center’s director offered thanks: “We are grateful for this generous support and timely intervention. This effort has not only improved our environment but uplifted our spirits.”
Across Nigeria, the focus on health was expansive. In Port Harcourt, stakes provided medical equipment to a local health center, and the Port Harcourt Nigeria West Stake hosted a free medical eye clinic.
One community member, Augustin Eze, appreciated the care: “The project is good. My [blood pressure] and other vitals were tested. It will help to maintain my health and my eyesight.”
In Calabar, Nigeria, a municipal leader, Okokon Mkpanam, praised the work at a health center, saying, “It has been a very long time that I have seen a church working to clean a health center. I am very impressed, and I will report to the chairman of the local government over the good work of your church.”
Safeguarding the rising generation
Echoing the Savior’s love for children, the Port Harcourt Nigeria South Stake led a back-to-school effort, distributing 300 school books and more than 50 uniforms to primary school students and painting a 250-meter zebra crossing on a busy road to improve pedestrian safety.
In Calabar, the Akamkpa Nigeria Stake cleaned university hostels and donated needed goods. A university hostel president, Igbolo John David, saw the impact immediately: “The Book of Mormon, packs of noodles, detergent and toiletries really made them feel loved.”
Building and cleaning communities
In the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, approximately 4,000 members contributed more than 14,000 hours in blood donations, large-scale cleanups and support for orphanages.
In the Teshia Ghana Stake, members cleared weeds along a busy roadway median.
In The Gambia, Latter-day Saints partnered with the Kanifing Municipal Council for a major cleanup; local officials noted the Church’s ongoing commitment to environmental improvement and community collaboration.
In Togo, the spirit of unity inspired unexpected generosity: during a cleanup, a passerby — impressed by volunteers from the Lomé Togo Agoe Stake — stopped to buy water for everyone. “We are happy now,” said Loccadie Vignihoede Devo of the Agoe Nyive Ward. “When we arrived, this place was not pleasant. … We have followed the Lord’s example by serving the community.”
Bishop Bruno Mawouena Sokel of the Apedokoe Ward added, “According to the teachings of King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon, when you serve your fellow men, you serve God (see Mosiah 2:17).”
A lifesaving gift
Several stakes organized blood drives to help meet urgent shortages. In Lomé, Togo, members gathered at the National Blood Transfusion Center.
“We want to thank The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Togo for its ongoing partnership. We are delighted with this renewed commitment during this period of great shortage,” said Tete Sena Yao, head of blood donation promotion at the National Blood Transfusion Center.
Environmental stewardship
In collaboration with the environmental association ERD Afrique, Latter-day Saints in Togo cleared roughly 20 bags of plastic waste from a beach to safeguard nesting habitat — then helped release about 60 baby sea turtles into the ocean.
“This experience will forever shape the future of these children, who are learning the importance of protecting the environment at a very young age,” said Hussunukpe Kossi Mawuli of the environmental association.
Reflecting on the day, Lome Togo Stake President Kouegan Anani said, “What captivated us most was learning about sea turtles and the need to protect them because of their important role in the ecosystem. … Above all, we are happy for a day well spent because we listened to the voice of the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who asked us to devote this day to community service.”
‘We wanted to show our love for our neighbors’
For many, the All-Africa Service Project is more than a single day — it is a pattern of discipleship. As President Godwin Oyigoja Oboh of the Calabar Nigeria Etta Agbo Stake summarized, “We wanted to show our love for our neighbors as the Savior taught. The objective of the service project was achieved as members and nonmembers turned out in their numbers.”
Elder Sam Greenhalgh, a missionary from Lehi, Utah, serving in the Gardnersville Liberia Stake, shared with Church News that he has been able to participate in the All-Africa Service Project twice.
“I know in our community, the people have been very thankful for the work done, and it has spread such a positive influence,” he said. “It’s great to know it wasn’t just our stake that made a difference, but all over Africa, children of God were out making the world a better place.”
