Becoming Self- Reliant Through Home Making

Self-reliance is currently one of the most frequently discussed topics among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To become self-reliant, one must have the ability and commitment to provide the spiritual and temporal necessities of life for self and family.

The Church has over the years collaborated with local and international organisations on self-reliance initiatives. One of such collaborations was with the Francis Addai Nimoh Foundation in Ghana where the two organisations help in the training of 240 carrot farmers on agricultural principles.

The Church has also instituted internal programs aimed at assisting members to be temporally self-reliant. In one of such activities, members of the Freetown Stake received home making skills training such as bead making, soap making, catering and many others geared towards making them self-reliant. 

The inspiring story of Leona Fensombo, Secretary to the Freetown Stake Relief Society is one of the success stories recorded from this program.

In an interview with Newsroom, she recounted that her active participation in the home making program has yielded so much benefits. “I usually make bead bags and shoes which I sell to my colleagues in college. The proceeds are used to pay for my tuition fees and also learning materials.”. “I do not depend on my parents anymore for my tuition fees”, said sister Fensombo.

Sister Fensombo was speaking at an exhibition organised by leaders of the stake to showcase home products such as bags and shoes. The event was a climax to activities lined up for the celebration of the 177^th Anniversary of the organisation of the Relief Society.

It started off with a walk which involved over two hundred and fifty sisters in the stake.  Led by the Priesthood leaders, the sisters clad in their “Charity Never Faileth” T-shirts started their energetic walk from the principal streets of Lumley through Wilkinson Road and ended at the Stake Center.

Moseslyna Abdulai, First Councilor of Stake Relief Society said, “The skills acquired by the sisters in the various wards, are part of efforts to make them self-reliant which will enable them provide from themselves and their families. The exhibition will sell their skills to others”

Theresa O’Neill, the Stake Relief Society President said, “The Prophet Joseph Smith organized Relief Society March 17 1842. They were tasked to administer to the poor and needy and assist in strengthening the morals and virtues of women.”

 “We are ministering to everybody in the World. We want to bring more women into the fold of Christ. “If more women come into the fold, they will gain eternal life and also learn personal skills that will help them become self-reliant,” said sister O’Neill.