Helping hands serve Africa
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
Volunteers in bright yellow T-shirts and vests scattered across Africa Aug. 22 as thousands of Church members, missionaries and community members put their "helping hands" to work in more than 30 countries across the continent. Volunteers spent the day working on projects that would clean and beautify their local areas and bring hope to their communities.
"It's amazing to see how the saints turn out for these projects," said Elder Eric Jackson, a missionary serving as director of public affairs in the Africa Southeast Area. "They showed up, walked in, received an assignment and went to work. It was unbelievable."
This year marked the third annual "Helping Hands" day in Africa. This year's theme, "Bringing Relief and Building Hope," captured the purpose of more than 200 projects scattered across the African continent.
Plans turned into action as volunteers spent the day of service painting, cleaning and planting, creating cleaner communities and, more important, bringing hope to local residents.
For many of the African saints participating, the day started long before they adorned "Helping Hands" T-shirts or vests. Many got up in the early hours of the morning to catch a bus for a long ride or start their walk for a few miles to the area they were assigned to give service. "They got on a bus, rode to a project, and performed a service for those who are less fortunate than they are and did it graciously without any complaint of their own," Elder Jackson said. "They can't wait to do these projects and serve."
In the Africa West Area, members from seven countries and missionaries serving in eight missions all participated in the planned "Helping Hands" projects under the leadership of the area presidency, Elder Craig A. Cardon, Elder Christoffel Golden Jr. and Elder John B. Dickson.
"The members provided the shovels, gloves, rakes and brooms we used," said Adesina Joshua Olukanni, area director of public affairs. "In all the places we wanted to make it cleaner and a safer place."
Although projects varied throughout the different countries, all had common elements. Each of the projects required community involvement by working with local leaders and institutions, and projects were to be a minimum of three hours on the actual service day. Volunteers had no problem complying with those requirements.
"We wanted to do something that would greatly impact the community and environment," said Brother Olukanni. "We looked for places where there appeared to be a great need to clean and beautify the place."
One of the projects in Lagos, Nigeria, included service at a local hospital. Members from two stakes and missionaries in the area spent the day cleaning and disinfecting walls throughout the hospital.
But service wasn't kept to just inside the hospital. Volunteers spent time clearing drainages and the exterior as well. Parking lots stripes were repainted and debris was cleared.
Another project in west Africa included work on a home for abandoned children. Volunteers cleared out debris and spent the day cleaning and sanitizing the area for a safer environment for the children.
Plans for projects in the Africa Southeast Area began in March, under the direction of the area presidency, Elder Paul E. Koelliker, Elder F. Michael Watson and Elder Dale G. Renlund. In every project, members were again encouraged to involve as many government officials, interfaith leaders and media representatives as possible.
"They wanted them to do things that were more long lasting," Elder Jackson said. "Projects that benefited hospitals, schools, cities, municipalities and churches."
In response to that request, projects involving local communities and leaders were organized — projects that were intended to do more than just clean an area. They were planned to leave lasting effects.
"I'm amazed at how faithful the saints are, especially among those who themselves have so little," said Elder Jackson. "They were so excited to join with other faithful saints to provide services to those that need it more than they do."
Larger projects were completed in Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Madagascar, Lesotho, South Africa and Nairobi, along with other groups across the continent. Some of the larger projects brought in more than 300 people to serve in one place.
However large or small the projects were, all provided service in much needed areas.
In southwestern Africa, members of the Katutura and Windhoek branches along with other members of their community planted a large vegetable garden that will provide fresh vegetables to residents a local center for children with mental disabilities.
"All the children were excited to be planting the garden," said Elder Gary Jones, a missionary serving with his wife in Namibia. "As the plants grow, the children will learn to thin out vegetables so that others may grow to maturity and they will be able to reap from their labors."
The Central Methodist Church, located in downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, is a six-story building where more than 2,000 refugees, including many women and children, live and sleep daily. Volunteers from three wards in the Johannesburg South Africa Stake cleaned and painted the building, improving the living conditions of the refugees. A lot of work was accomplished in only a few hours.
"People in the community are amazed at what we do," said Elder Jackson. "They are impressed that we show up on time, get to work and get a lot done in a short amount of time."
In Lesotho, more than 100 members worked at the children's ward of the St. Queen Elizabeth II hospital. They fixed playground equipment, painted a major hallway, cleaned the grounds and planted flowers and repaired a large water tank. Young women in the Maseru Branch made 35 quilts to donate along side 25 new infant kits from Church humanitarian services, and 50 quilts and blankets sent from LDS Charities.
"Entire families were involved, even the young children helped," said Elder Jackson. "There was something for everybody to do."
Members of the Sandton Ward in Johannesburg helped the Kya Sands Orphanage by planting crop circles. Volunteers dug up soil in a circle and then added compost. They filled two-liter bottles with water and seeds or plants and put then into the ground, providing irrigation to a place with no running water.
All the projects carried out were designed not only to get members involved with and in local communities but also were planned to keep giving long after the day of service.
"Everywhere we would go people were really amazed that there is a group of people that would come out and help without any compensation," Brother Olukanni said. "There is a lot of goodwill here, and it is slowly catching on with everybody."
Although the planned "Helping Hands" projects are intended to help improve the physical elements of local communities, their effects spread much further than that.
"It is a great interaction with community leaders when they see the Church in action," Elder Jackson said. "[Our service] changes the perception of how they think about the Church."
Most important, the day of service gave members and others the opportunity to serve their fellow men and share their testimonies through service.
"The light of the gospel is shining directly on Africa right now," Elder Jackson said. "It is the most incredible thing to see how the Lord is going before us opening doors."
