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.
Pacific, Tonga: Mormon Fishes the Ocean to Feed the Poor
A 64-year-old Mormon man in Tonga spearfishes at night to catch fish to feed the poor. As a child, Loueni Huni was taught how to fish beyond the reef at night by his father.
After each spearfishing expedition, Huni distributes 90 percent of his catch to the poor. It doesn’t matter the people’s faith — some are Latter-day Saints, others are Catholic or Methodist or Wesleyan, or they belong to no church at all. If someone needs help, he does what he can for them.
There’s more to this story about service on the Pacific Mormon Newsroom website.
Dominican Republic: Churches Celebrate Interfaith Meeting Between Women of Faith
More than 100 women, including Mormon and Catholic leaders, gathered August 19 in the Dominican Republic for an interfaith panel discussion on family and home.
Women leaders who participated included Linda K. Burton, general Relief Society president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Neill F. Marriott, second counselor in the Church’s Young Women general presidency; Maria Mercedes Acal Contreras, adviser to the educational project Los Corales; and Joseina Guaba Padilla, board member of Circuito Familiar of the Catholic Church.
For more on the story, visit the Dominican Republic Mormon Newsroom website (Spanish).
United Kingdom: Mormons Help Local Sikhs With Gurdwara
In the United Kingdom, around 50 Mormons from the Northampton area joined with local Sikhs to help clear land and prepare for the building of a gurdwara, or place of worship, at the St. James Mill in the center of Northampton.
Men, women and youth aged 16 years and older helped cut back overgrown vegetation, paint the outside fence and clear out the shell of the building for the edifice.
Visit the United Kingdom Mormon Newsroom for additional details.
Kenya: Mormon Helping Hands Join Day of Service
Latter-day Saints and communities worked together on the recent day of service in the Kenyan community of Changamwe. During the year members of the Church organized service projects to emulate the life of Jesus Christ by serving others.
Area Chief Ben Valasar thanked Mormons for their commitment to serve the community. “Your service to us is unique.”
To read other comments, go to the Kenya Mormon Newsroom website.
Belarus: World Humanitarian Day
Latter-day Saints in Belarus and throughout the world have participated in World Humanitarian Day each year. Service projects have included a variety of things, from cleaning communities to blood donation drives.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints encourages its members to take an active part in such activities.
Go to the Belarus Mormon Newsroom website (Russian).
South Africa: Mormon Volunteers Support Immunizations in Botswana
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints partnered with the Botswana Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization to provide immunizations to children in the south African nation. Mormon Helping Hands volunteers assisted in Botswana’s measles, rubella and deworming initiative in an effort to immunize 250,000 children.
In 2003, the Church supported a worldwide initiative that would provide measles vaccinations to children in 40 countries. In 2004, it participated in a measles vaccination campaign in Madagascar.
Visit the South Africa Mormon Newsroom website for more information.
Indonesia: Garden Growing Provides Opportunities for Self-Reliance
The years of war and turmoil have taken a toll on Indonesians in terms of the ability of the people of East Timor to provide for themselves. LDS Charities, the humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is teaching people how to grow vegetables for food and sell the excess for money.
LDS Charities has provided villages with shovels, rakes, machetes, water tanks, hoses, drip irrigation pipes and wells for watering, as well as materials for compost bins. Seeds for tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers, corn, peppers, watermelon, cassava, chili, papaya, nuts, moringa and more are also provided.
Read more about this opportunity on the Indonesia Mormon Newsroom website (Indonesian).
Italy: Latter-day Saints Help Earthquake Victims
The Italian Red Cross has partnered with the Church to provide food and supplies to victims of the recent earthquake in Lazio, Italy, near Rome. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated paper goods such as plates, cutlery, glasses, napkins and toilet paper. Dish detergent and disinfectants were part of that contribution.
This donation, as well as all others the Church has made around the world, comes from voluntary contributions from Mormons for humanitarian aid.
Go to the Italy Mormon Newsroom website (Italian) for additional information.