From school renovations to hospital equipment, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has invested in the welfare of several communities in West Africa. Summarized below are some Church-organized renovations, donations and service projects in Nigeria, Ghana and Liberia aimed at caring for those in need and sharing God’s love. Each story was originally reported by the Church’s Africa Newsroom.
Nigeria
In collaboration with WaterAid Nigeria, the Church donated a fully constructed sanitation facility to the Isiwu Junior Grammar School in Lagos, Nigeria, which would provide clean water to the school. A ceremony took place on May 28, the same day the donation was made. During the ceremony, dignitaries in attendance signed a memorandum of understanding, promising to maintain the new sanitation facility.
Many were grateful for the new promise of clean water. Amin Olawale Ibrahim Apaishile, vice chairman of the Ikorodu North Local Council Development Area, said: “We are grateful to be the beneficiaries of this laudable project. The people in this community are feeling your presence. We appreciate your kind gesture toward ensuring that our people live a more comfortable life.”
President Charles Okoyomon, a counselor in the Lagos Nigeria Ikorodu Stake presidency, represented the Church and offered remarks, in which he noted the Church desires to follow Jesus Christ and His admonition to love and take care of one’s neighbors.
Ghana
The “Succeed in School” program in the Ashaiman Ghana Stake includes youth ages 11-18 and aims to provide education about a myriad of topics, from science and nutrition classes to exam preparation. On April 27, 140 students gathered at the Adjei Kojo Government School in Suncity, Ghana, to pick up litter, sweep and talk with neighbors in a project called “Keep My Community Clean.”
Emmanuel Agyei Mensah, a volunteer facilitator highlighted the purpose of this service project. “The motivation for this program is twofold: first, to instill the habit of giving back to the community and to educate everyone on the importance of keeping our surroundings clean; second, to embody the spirit of service and follow the example set by the Savior Jesus Christ.”
On May 25, the Church made emergency relief donations to the Krisan Refugee Camp in the Axim District, in the Western Region of Ghana. The camp has been in operation since 1996, following an influx of refugees from Liberia, and currently aids refugees from 16 African countries.
The aid was directed to meeting the needs of new refugee families and included sleeping mattresses, mosquito nets, bags of rice, cooking oil, tomato paste, canned fish and sachets of drinking water. Distribution was based on the needs of each family, ensuring that each received items sufficient for their current situation.
Representatives of the Church included President Christopher L. Morgan and Sister Christine M. Morgan, mission leaders in the Ghana Cape Coast Mission; Axim Ghana District President Eric Ekpaha Mensah; and Joshua Ehoneah, president of the Esiama Branch of the Church. Full-time missionaries in the area also helped families carry donated items to their homes.
A camp chairman and camp manager accepted the aid during a donation ceremony, and President Mensah expressed love to the Ghanian and Muslim communities and encouraged all to follow the example of Jesus Christ.
Another Church-led effort to support education took place at Odorgonna Senior High School in Accra, Ghana. On May 31, the school received a new classroom block, sanitation facility and 300 new desks.
Elder S. Gifford Nielsen, a General Authority Seventy and president of the Africa West Area of the Church, was present at the donation ceremony and accompanied by Accra Ghana Kaneshie Stake President Francis Sosu Jr.; Flint Mensah, director of temporal affairs for the Africa West Area; and Marian Esiape, welfare and self-reliance manager.
During the donation ceremony the headmaster of the school, Patrick Mensah, welcomed the dignitaries in attendance and thanked the Church for the facilities. Additionally, Elder Nielsen spoke about the purpose of the donation and encouraged students to value education:
“We believe that the glory of God is intelligence, and you honor God by focusing on your studies, learning and becoming a productive member of your community. As I talk to you today, I do not know what the final results of your efforts will be or what influence you will have in the world, but I can tell you this, it will be profound because of your dedication to your education.”
Students lining the railings of the new building were delighted when Elder Nielsen, joined by Adomako Kissi, member of Ghana Parliament representing Anyaa-Sowutuom, cut the ribbon on the new classroom block.
Liberia
In Paynesville, Liberia, a ceremony was held to celebrate a fully renovated school block and supplies donated by the Church. The Pipeline Public School — located in a densely populated suburb of Monrovia — is the only Ministry of Education government facility operating in that community.
As part of the donation, the Church resurfaced the playground area, purchased desks and filing cabinets for school administrators, provided tables and chairs, and placed tiles on the floors of the younger students’ classrooms.
The principal of the school, James Gbelee, spoke at the donation ceremony May 16 and thanked the Church for hope it brought to the school.
Over a month after the donations and renovations in Paynesville, the Church also donated much needed medical equipment and supplies to the Tubmanburg Hospital. At the donation ceremony at the hospital, the Church, represented by President Prince Sonpon Nyanforh of the Monrovia Liberia Virginia Stake, along with humanitarian missionaries Elder Lee Trapani and Sister Cheryl Trapani, and National Communication Director Salomie Weah, celebrated substantial renovations and medical equipment donations funded by the Church.
Renovations included new sliding glass windows, repaired roofs, ceilings, walls and the replacement of damaged doors and tiles. The Church donated 100 bed frames and mattresses, medical equipment like nebulizers, defibrillators and ultrasound machines for the neonatal care unit.
Hospital administrator Joseph F. Kanneh expressed profound gratitude, highlighting the significant impact on patient recovery and community well-being, while Elder Trapani emphasized that the donations were funded by individual Church members out of love for God and humanity. The ceremony concluded with the hospital staff presenting a certificate of appreciation to the Church leaders.
On June 3, the Church donated a newly constructed maternity center, three surgical wards and a neonatal ward to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Monrovia, Liberia. The JFK hospital, Liberia’s largest referral hospital, has struggled to provide quality medical care due to damage from civil conflict and shortages of equipment.
Representing the Church again were Elder and Sister Trapani. During a donation ceremony they emphasized that the donations were funded by Church members worldwide, motivated by love and a desire to help. “We believe that this is a good place to invest our humanitarian resources because of the good work that you do and the concern you have for the people of Liberia,” Elder Trapani said.
