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Communities in Samoa and Papua New Guinea have gained improved access to clean water through humanitarian projects funded by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In Samoa, the Church collaborated with the Vaisigano Second District and the Samoan Ministry of Health to install two 10,000-liter water tanks at Sataua Primary School on Savai‘i island. Additionally, 206 water tanks, each with a capacity of 2,000 liters, were distributed across the villages of Fagasa, Sataua, and Papa Sataua. This initiative benefits approximately 1,900 people, including 1,000 schoolchildren.
Elder Brian Bott commented on the significance of these installations for educational institutions: “For a school, the ability to capture and store this water is the difference between staying open and closing down.” Elder Bott and his wife Sister Lori Bott emphasize their mission’s focus on enhancing health and education while sharing spiritual values. “Water is part of it,” Sister Bott noted. “But anything to do with the health or education of the Samoan people, and to let them know of God’s love for them, that’s what we’re about.”
The donation efforts in Samoa also encompass classroom desks, library shelves, and sanitary flooring improvements aimed at enhancing learning environments.
In Papua New Guinea's Rigo District highland village Riwaldi, a new Church-funded water well and public restrooms were inaugurated during a ceremony attended by community members on May 2nd. Traditional dances were performed by students as local leaders highlighted the project's impact.
Project supervisor Ilagi Kema addressed local challenges: “There is a problem in our community because we live in the high hills, and sometimes we find it difficult to find water.” He added that “where there is water there is life,” marking these developments as beneficial for community advancement.
These efforts in both countries aim to meet basic needs while promoting health education and self-reliance. Elder Bott reflected on these initiatives: “These water projects are just a small part of the Church’s broader commitment to lifting communities and showing love through service.”
