In the Zeewhorr community of Lower Margibi County, Liberia, elementary school students were sitting on logs, broken chairs or the floor. They had unsanitary toilet facilities, broken doors and windows, and crumbling ceilings and roofs. The facility began as a mud-brick structure but over time fell into disrepair.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints helped provide new classrooms, a kitchen, washroom facilities, a water tower, chairs, desks, tables and blackboards.
Elder Alfred Kyungu, General Authority Seventy and president of the Africa West Area, formally handed over the school to government and community leaders on Feb. 21, reported the Church’s Africa Newsroom.
He explained that the Church’s humanitarian efforts are motivated by the Savior’s commandment to love one another — and education is a key part of these efforts as it helps young people build self-reliance.
“This is truly a day of gratitude and hope,” Elder Kyungu said. “What we dedicate today is far more than brick and mortar; it is an investment in children, in families and in the future of this community and this nation.”
This project was one of many efforts throughout Africa to help improve access to education.
Ghana
Before they received help from the Church, hundreds of students at the Saasabi KKMA Basic School in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana were struggling with leaky roofs, crumbling walls, inadequate facilities and overcrowding — in some cases, 95 to 100 students were in one classroom together.
The school grounds also had no toilets. Students used the bushes and grassy areas around the school, and rain washed the waste matter into the play areas, contributing to illness and disease.
The Church provided new classrooms, offices, laboratories, computers, washrooms and a canteen, and repaired floors, roofs, windows and doors, reported Africa Newsroom.
President Isaac Darko-Mensah, the first counselor in the Accra Ghana Adenta Stake presidency, told those gathered on Feb. 26 that the Church believes deeply in education.
“Our beliefs come from a simple truth: learning changes lives. A child who can read gains a voice. A child who can reason gains choices. A child who gains knowledge gains dignity,” he said. “Many years ago, a Church leader taught that the glory of God is intelligence. In other words, learning is sacred.”
Nigeria
In Nigeria, the Church worked with COAFRICA and the Build-a-School Initiative in Africa to help Government Technical College.
During a handover ceremony held Feb. 4, Church representatives presented six newly built classrooms, 120 student desks and chairs, and additional educational materials to the school.
Elder Victor O. Bassey, an Area Seventy in the Africa West Area, expressed appreciation for the collaboration between the Church, government leaders and community partners, reported Africa Newsroom. He encouraged students to value their education and use the new facilities responsibly.
“It is one thing to receive property and another thing to make good use of it,” Elder Bassey said. “Education changes the way we think, the way we work and ultimately how we contribute to society.”
Kenya
At Kanamkemer Primary School, located in the desert of northwest Kenya, hundreds of students were meeting outside under trees. Many of the students boarding there also had to sleep outdoors, and there were problems with water and sanitation.
The Church worked with the International Religious Council of Kenya and UNICEF to provide new classrooms and desks, a water tower and pump, water stations, new washrooms and an administrative office for Kanamkemer school, reported Africa Newsroom.
At the handover ceremony, Joshua Muchiri Njoroge, representing the Church’s Africa Central Area, said, “We are not just handing over a building, or any physical structure, but we are also handing over a space of hope, a sanctuary of learning and a foundation for future generations.”
The next day at Canaan Primary School, a groundbreaking was held for new buildings. The Africa Central Area Humanitarian Services manager, Denis Mukasa, said, “We do this work regardless of religion, race, color, creed or anything that is distinguishing. We do this without expecting anything in return. We do this for the benefit of the community.”
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Church donated benches, chairs, tables, water boreholes and toilets to Tango Hapo Primary School 1 and 2 in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Feb. 6.
Elder Ndalamba Ilunga, Area Seventy in the Africa Central Area, thanked the local authorities and donors for their collaboration and help. He also shared his joy and gratitude to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, who he said was the source of inspiration for this humanitarian commitment.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Church is focused on improving access to drinking water, rehabilitating sanitary infrastructure and providing medical and educational equipment, reported the Church’s Africa Newsroom.
Further initiatives are planned at the primary school to continue with these efforts.
