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 “I Can See”                
 “I Have a Desk at School”          
Statements Heard by Welfare Service/Humanitarian Missionaries.

Many areas of South Africa are being blessed by the efforts of Welfare Service/Humanitarian Senior Missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In Zimbabwe, Dr. Robert and Shirley Griffin, vision specialists, brought 400 pairs of reading glasses purchased in the United States to be distributed in Africa.  Dr. Griffin arrived with eye charts and gave basic training to the welfare service/humanitarian service missionaries to help fit glasses to the people. The main criteria was age.  One must be over 40 years old to be tested.  Initially they placed glasses at the mission office in Harare, at drilling sites of water boreholes and at church meetings. After hearing about the glasses people were lining up to get them.

Mozambique was the site of another project.  Using self-reliance as a key, the missionaries were able to work with a school. They had the school director reach out to the community for support. The community helped to fund new school desks for the children gathering 10% of the cost of the desks.  Director Tiago told of partnering with another NGO(nongovernment organization)refurbishing latrines. With no connection to the community or school, there is frequent damage and it is almost impossible to keep them working.

Tiago said, "If other NGOs would operate the way you do, there would be real progress.”

Missionaries told Tiago of another very important principle at work, that if used, would bring great blessings to these communities; that is the principle of sacrifice.

When the parents and members of the community are willing to sacrifice to provide a better educational experience for their children, then there will be progress. 

The school principal was open to the possibility that her community was a resource to help support their children in a government school, even though they already pay taxes for education.  

 

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