The Church Collaborates With Catholic Relief Services for Water System in Liberia 

The Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints collaborated with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) on May 2, 2025, to fund a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project. This initiative will benefit more than 7,000 residents of the remote Red Hill Community in Paynesville, Montserrado County, Liberia. 

The donated water system contains a large water tower, two boreholes that supply water to the tower, four extended kiosks for water distribution in key parts of the community, solar panels to power the pumps and an automatic chlorine system to treat the water it extracts from the boreholes.

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A community celebration for the donation took place at the project’s site on land donated by community members Nyan Brown and his wife on May 2, 2025. Attending the ceremony was Madam Nyamah Lablah, community chairperson; Elder Prince S. Nyanforh, a newly called Area Seventy in Liberia; Elder and Sister Haddock, senior humanitarian missionaries serving in Liberia; full-time missionaries serving in the area; and various other government and business officials.

In her remarks during the ceremony, Madam Lablah thanked the Church, the CRS and other partners for funding such a significant project. She said the donated facilities will give them relief through access to safe drinking water.

“You people made our dream come through. We have really suffered for water in this community.  Our children usually went to school late because of this same water business. Water is life; we want to thank the Latter-day Saints family, the CRS, and all who have worked tirelessly to bring life to our community,” she said.

Madam Lablah noted instances where children were late to school because of long waiting periods for the community well. According to her, many children wake up as early as 2 a.m. to go to the well so as to be early in line to fetch water. Frequently, they return home as late with just two gallons of water because the well has dried up, a continual challenge due to the rocky location.

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Theophilus Davis, a CRS Technical Advisor, called the Church-sponsored water project the “biggest, improved and modernized” WASH project the CRS has undertaken. 

“We’re not just dedicating a water facility, but we’re dedicating something that has been improved and modernized and is going to expand through different sections of the community,” he added.

In his remarks, Elder Haddock joyfully thanked all who collaborated in the project’s implementation. He encouraged community members to own and protect what was given them, adding that the money used to fund the project came from sacred donations from faithful members of the Church as well as from other goodwill individuals around the world who strive to help provide relief for struggling people everywhere. He concluded by saying, “We’re happy that we could serve you today.”

Davis expressed appreciation to the Church for collaborating with them to fund this project. He also acknowledged other local organizations such as the Evangelical Children Rehabilitation Program ( ECREP) Liberia, the Premier Construction Group, and the Liberian government’s Liberia Water and Sewer Cooperation (LWSC) for their contribution to the completion of the project.

The ceremony concluded with a dramatic performance by community youth, the gowning of the Browns for donating their land for the construction of the project, ribbon cutting and a tour of the facility.