MormonNewsroom.org features stories from its international Newsroom websites to share what leaders and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world are doing to better the communities in which they live.
Ghana: Fresh Water Is Happily Received by Ghanaians
Celebration and gratitude were expressed by residents in Ghana as fresh water flowed for the first time into small villages.
LDS Charities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints partnered with local governments to complete 32 clean water systems. Communities are required to maintain the wells and the water delivery system, and they charge a nominal fee to keep the fresh water available for everyone.
Read more about it on the Ghana Mormon Newsroom website.
Malaysia: Helping Babies Breathe
Through a partnership between LDS Charities and the Perkumpulan Perinatologi Indonesia (PERINASIA), medical professionals volunteer their time and skills in training Indonesian pediatricians and midwives about neonatal resuscitation.
This type of training has been repeated several times in Indonesia, and the mortality rate has dropped from 40 deaths in 1,000 births in 2008 to near 25 in 1,000 today.
Find out more about the benefits of the Helping Babies Breathe program on the Malaysia Mormon Newsroom website.
India: Latter-day Saints Help Newborns Stay Warm
In January, Mormons in New Delhi assembled 2,100 newborn kits consisting of baby blankets, shirts, hats, booties, nappies (diapers) and towels.
The newborn kits were given to the Swami Dayanand Hospital for distribution to mothers in need at New Delhi’s Dilshad Garden.
Go to the India Mormon Newsroom website to read why members of the Church perform such service.
Guatemala: Notebooks With Heart
The Church has joined in an effort to help children in school in a Central American country. The campaign is called “Notebooks With Heart,” and it is expected to benefit more than 100,000 children in Guatemalan public schools.
Each child receives four notebooks, two pencils, a pencil sharpener and an eraser. Children and their parents have been very grateful for the school kits. Education is a priority in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; it is the key to future opportunities.
Read how the children receive the materials on the Guatemala Mormon Newsroom website (Spanish).
Philippines: Typhoon Relief Continues for Southern Cebu
LDS Charities and Mormon Helping Hands continue to distribute supplies to areas of the Philippines hit by Typhoon Seniang (Jangmi) in December.
The Church has provided water filtration equipment, cooking and food kits and hundreds of family-size tents. Latter-day Saints contributed 2,000 hours of service to assemble the supplies and get them distributed.
Go to the Philippines Mormon Newsroom website for additional information.
South Africa: Mormon Youth Gain Spiritual Perspective
Nearly 400 young people, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, attended a conference recently in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
The week long conference, entitled “For the Strength of Youth,” provided youth with opportunities for service, spiritual growth and educational workshops and helped them forge new friendships. Teens from 14 to 19 years of age came from Port Elizabeth, East London and Cape Town.
To understand the conference’s success, go to the South Africa Mormon Newsroom website.