On 15 December 2023, a donation ceremony was held in the village of Bakpaba in Northern Ghana. The ceremony celebrated the completion of the construction of three 10-seater modern bathroom facilities, donated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Traditional and government dignitaries joined Church leaders in presenting the donation to community members.
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Bakpaba is a community of 30,000, most of them farmers, in the Nanumba North Municipal District of the Norther Region in Ghana. The much-needed bathroom facilities will contribute to improved water sanitation in the village. In Ghana, less than 25% of the population has access to basic toilet facilities. These new facilities will help stem the spread of water-borne pathogens that lead to malnutrition and disease in the village.
Representing the Church at the donation ceremony was President Isaac Nii Ayikwei Martey of the Tamale Ghana District. Accompanying President Martey were Elder Brian Dunn and Sister Sharon Dunn, humanitarian missionaries for the Church.
“As members of the Church of Jesus Christ we serve our Savior by serving others,” said President Martey during the ceremony. “Our love for Jesus Christ is the reason that we give. We are trying to love and serve as He did.”
In his remarks, Elder Dunn noted that the funding for the new facilities came from the donations of faithful members of the Church. “They donate selflessly with the hope that they are doing good. We ask you to show your thanks for this gift by maintaining the bathroom facilities so that they can be used by generations to come.”
In gratitude and appreciation for the donation, the village residents presented President Martey yams and a goat. The Church leaders were also given royal smocks.
The Honorable Kulma Wumbel Francis, a local assemblyman and representative of the local traditional chief, Naa Songodow, thanked the Church for the generous donation. “We are grateful to your Church for your kindness. Many people in our village will be blessed because of your generosity.”