The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made increasing access to clean, safe drinking water and adequate sanitation a top priority.
Improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene is essential to human health and well-being, the church’s Caring website explains. Jesus Christ taught, “I was hungry and you gave me meat; I was thirsty and you gave me water” (Matthew 25:35).
Church administrations around the world play a leading role in assessing the needs of their communities and implementing assistance where it is needed. Below are three recent examples of how churches have improved access to water.
Water purifiers and hand washing stations in the Philippines
For years, students at Dimantar Elementary School in Bugalon, Pangasinan, Philippines have relied on a local watershed that is heavily polluted during the rainy season. This made children more susceptible to diseases and forced families to use their limited budgets to buy bottled water.
On April 23, the Philippine Church and Waves for Water distributed 40 home water filters, enough for every family in the region, and eight hand-washing stations to be installed in school classrooms.
Besides the donation, authorities also led training sessions for local residents to know how to effectively use and maintain the filtration devices, the church’s Philippine Newsroom reported.
The ceremony was attended by Bishop Alvaro Ferrer of the Bugalon Ward of the Philippines Aguilar Stake.
“These water filters from Waves for Water provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been a tremendous help,” Bishop Ferrer said. “They filter the dirty water and bacteria very well, so the water that comes out of the filters is safe to drink. Local residents are overjoyed as this aid means a lot to their safety and health.”
Aurora Ordonia, one of the teachers at the school, expressed the meaning in her own words: “Our students will no longer struggle.”
Boreholes and water storage tanks in Sierra Leone
The small community of New England Ville, west of Freetown, Sierra Leone, has received a sustainable solution to its long-standing need for clean, accessible water.
On April 3, the church officially handed over the new well and water tank to residents who had been relying on natural springs for their water supply. However, spring water did not meet the needs of the growing population, and children often skipped school to collect water for their families.
The church’s Africa Newsroom reported that the stored water will be supplied to both the school and the surrounding community, improving daily living conditions and supporting improved health and hygiene.
Bishop Alfred M. Sesay, New England Ward Bishop of the Freetown Sierra Leone East Stake, presided over the event. “In handing over this water pump, we are presenting more than just a physical project; we are working to share the symbols of love, service, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.…Clean water is essential to life, and providing it is an expression of Christlike care and compassion.”
Mexican water treatment kits and storage tanks
In January, the church made a donation to the Alliance for Environmental Health, Development and Sustainability AC to improve water and sanitation conditions in 17 public schools in vulnerable communities in the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
The effort includes installing water treatment kits, 5,000-liter storage tanks, pumps and hand-washing stations, the church’s Mexico Newsroom reported.
More than 1,800 school-age children, teachers and families in the school area will benefit from reduced gastrointestinal illness and school absenteeism.
The School’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Committee will undertake a defined role to ensure continuity of the project.
