Welfare principles in the Church have remained constant through the years, but assistance programs are sometimes tailored to meet the unique needs of different cultures as the Church continues to grow rapidly worldwide.

Church leaders do what they can to help meet the basic needs of members in all circumstances and to help them become self-reliant. Church welfare initiatives throughout the world concentrate on helping people overcome the causes of welfare need that individuals and families can remedy, but do not focus on solving the economic or political problems of communities or nations. Church members, as private citizens, work toward alleviating economic and political difficulties by participating in worthy civic projects.Members of the Church also may participate in relieving suffering around the world by donating to the Church's humanitarian service efforts.

In January 1985, the Church called a special fast to generate funds for famine relief in West Africa. In a great outpouring of compassion and generosity, faithful members in the United States and Canada donated more than $6.7 million. A similar fast in November 1985 added another $3.8 million. And Church members have continued to contribute generously to other similar humanitarian service efforts.

Administered under the guidance of the First Presidency, the Church's humanitarian service projects are carried out directly as well as in conjunction with respected and proven agencies. They include programs to improve health, literacy, agricultural practices and other initiatives geared toward helping individuals and families became more self-reliant and able to help their fellowmen.

Member donations have helped fund projects in Africa, the United States, Europe, Central and South America and the islands of the sea.

As citizens of many lands apply revealed welfare principles, their lives and livelihoods are improved. They lift themselves and their neighbors both spiritually and temporally.

Here are a few examples:

---

NIAMEY, NIGER

Niger, a country in the Sub-Saharan belt of Africa, has chronic famine and drought conditions. The land is arable, but wind has eroded much of the topsoil.

Under the direction of CARE, funds that Church members contributed during the special fast in 1985 were used to help start nurseries in the Majia Valley in western Niger. Here villagers cultivate tree seedlings for windbreaks. Once the seedlings are mature enough, they are transplanted to the villagers' small farms to protect agricultural crops, reduce wind erosion and retain the vital topsoil. The project has helped area farmers increase food production by as much as 30 percent.

The agroforestry activities were carried out in close cooperation with the Nigerian Forest Service to ensure continuity and long-term success. (See "Freely Given," Ensign, Aug. 1988, p. 15.)

---

GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA

A conscientious priesthood leader here encouraged a young mother to learn additional skills so she could improve conditions for herself and her young family. The sister was earning $4 a day for a physically demanding 12 hours of work at a soap factory.

The priesthood leader provided assistance for tuition for a tailoring class, with the understanding that she would provide training to other Church members and share the skills she acquired.

Within a few months, the sister completed the course and began making tailored clothing for customers at several times her factory wages. She was able to leave the factory job and do tailoring full-time. The change allowed her to spend more time with her family and to open a small tailoring school in her home, where LDS women are regularly trained.

---

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO

Gerald and Laurel Macdonald and their two children took to heart the counsel of Church President Ezra Taft Benson and other prophets and developed a year's supply of food, water, fuel and clothing - along with an emergency kit.

Their preparation proved beneficial to themselves and others when Hurricane Hugo hit the island in September 1989 with 140 mph winds that virtually leveled San Juan.

"The winds were frightening as we watched trees break like toothpicks and house roofs fly through the air," Sister Macdonald recalled. "But we felt through our faith and prayers we would be all right.

"The first thing that went out during the storm was the electricity, followed by water service."

When the storm subsided and the Macdonalds returned to their home after having fled inland, the family returned to a neighborhood that looked as if "a bomb had been dropped."

For two weeks they had no electricity or water.

"It was a real test of our preparedness," said Sister Macdonald. "Fortunately we had plenty of canned food, water, boxed drinks, sanitary supplies, books, scriptures and games set aside to get us through without serious problems.

"It also was a good time to teach us to handle our emotions because of the difficult conditions under which we had to live."

Besides meeting their own needs, the family had enough set aside to share with others, including many in desperate circumstances.

Since there was no ice or electricity for refrigeration after the storm, the Macdonalds had a neighborhood barbecue and shared a large amount of meat and other food with their neighbors.

As relief efforts stretched over days and weeks, a daily radio broadcast would alert residents to specific needs throughout the islands. The Macdonalds would listen each day and select one family, person or group to help out, loading goods into their car and dropping them off where needed.

---

AYAMAYA, BOLIVIA

Felix Tenorio became acquainted with the Church through the Andean Children's Foundation, was baptized soon thereafter and now serves as branch president in this rural mountain community 13,000 feet above sea level.

Brother Tenorio is employed by the foundation, which is carrying out a Church-funded agricultural project on Bolivia's Altaplano. He has developed a model farm incorporating a unique greenhouse system that is helping provide food for members and non-members - literally saving lives.

Ayamaya has a short three-month growing season, severely limiting food production.

Brother Tenorio developed greenhouses built of mud bricks and covered with plastic, and he put in shallow wells 25 to 30 feet deep that have hit a good column of water. To draw the water, he built an inexpensive hand pump made of tire rubber, rope and wood. Water for the greenhouse crops is run from the wells directly into the greenhouses through small channels.

With the greenhouses, food can be produced year-round, resulting in an incredible increase in production. Tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, chard, lettuce and other vegetables flourish in the buildings, while outside streams are frozen over and frost covers the ground.

A recent visitor to Ayamaya reported that Brother Tenorio is "seen by everyone in the community as a leader, not just by Church members." Greenhouses have sprung up throughout the village, and the project has spread to other parts of Bolivia, where local priesthood leaders also are influential in spearheading efforts to help their communities.

In one town, Suriquinia, there have been about 160 greenhouses built during the past 18 months. Virtually all of the members in that and other communities have greenhouses now. And in many of these rural areas there are sanitation facilities, health programs and literacy programs under way, as well.

Though Brother Tenorio's efforts all arise from a genuine love of the people and a concern for their welfare, he reports that the improvements are resulting in other benefits for the Church: "We have investigators who come to the branch every single Sunday because of these things that are going on in the community."