On 14 December 2023, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated seven hand-drilled wells with hand pumps to seven different communities in the country of Liberia. Donation ceremonies were held in each of the communities to celebrate the completion of the wells.
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The communities are all located in Grand Bassa County, which is in the west-central part of the African nation. The communities that received the wells were, Old Barrack, Open Bible, Kaytor Town, Gorzhn, Pearchu Zohn, Big Joe Town, and Benson River. Each community celebrated the new wells with speeches and ribbon cutting.
Leaders from each of the communities expressed their gratitude for the Church’s donation and their happiness for the blessing of now having safe and abundant water for drinking and cooking. Each of the communities also outlined a plan for maintaining the wells and pumps so that they can bless the lives of the villagers for generations to come.
Representing the Church of Jesus Christ at the donation ceremonies were Elder Lee Trapani and Sister Cheryl Trapani, humanitarian missionaries for the Church, serving in Liberia.
“Prior to the new hand-drilled wells and water pumps, the communities were forced to use contaminated open wells or no wells at all, hauling water from the closest water sources, sometimes kilometers away,” said Sister Trapani.
She added that, “Water-borne illness, especially among the children, was very prevalent.” She also noted that once the wells are put into use, the amount of sickness in these communities will be greatly reduced.
The Church worked in collaboration with the non-profit organization Concern Worldwide, as part of the ‘Improving Access to Safe Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene’ project in Grand Bassa County.
Lush and green with many rainforests, Liberia is one of the world’s wettest countries. Unfortunately, it lacks the vital networks and resources to provide most of its citizens with clean drinking water. The Church’s donations will provide these seven villages with the blessings of clean water that is easily accessible.