Latter-day Saints in Sierra Leone Participate in the 2018 All Africa Service Project

Over 2,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sierra Leone embarked in community service and blood donation in Freetown, Bo, Kenema and Makeni on Saturday, August 18, 2018.

The project attracted a number of public officials including The Mayor of Freetown, the Chief Imam of the Freetown Central Mosque, the L.U.C of Bo West Police Station, the Executive Chairman of Environmental Protection Agency, the Chief Administrator of Bo City Council, the Medical Director of the Ahmadiyya Hospital Kenema and other ward councilors.

The service included blood donation; cleaning of drainages, work at a hospital and orphanage, de-silting streets and roadsides, conveying garbage to dump sites, beautifying roadsides, and painting of flower pots and block benches.

At the Portee-Rokupa axis in the East end of Freetown, members spent hours cleaning drainages and beautifying roadsides with black and white enamel paint.

Her Worship, the Mayor of Freetown, Madam Yvonne Aki-Sawyer was impressed and commented, “We should continue to be part of the solution to having a healthier and clean city where everyone will practice the culture of managing solid waste. I am proud of your church. Continue to teach your members, your neighbors, and the younger generation to practice the culture of maintaining personal hygiene and public sanitation."

Sheikh Osman Bangura, the Chief Imam of the Freetown Central Mosque also witnessed the cleaning exercise at Portee. He remarked, “It was a good gesture by your Church members to do this work. I never knew the cleaning exercise would turn out so great. On behalf of the Muslim community we say thank you, we appreciate you and you are welcome to assist at any time”.

Members decorated 530 flower vessels along the Wilkinson Road and also cleaned the Spur Road Orphanage Home. Pastor Daniel, head of the orphanage said “I feel so happy when I see my brothers and sisters helping out because, most times, it is the white people we see donating things. With the impact of your Church members, it makes more impact. It is not what you bring that is most important, but the smiles you put on the faces of the children."

At the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH) along Fourah Bay Road, the cleaning of the hospital and painting of its outside block benches was done by members and non-member volunteers.

Mr. Ibrahim Conteh, Coordinator for the Moseray Fadika Childen’s Foundation said, “We came in as volunteers to partner with the Church and it is a great blessing for us to be part of this service project to work for Jesus Christ."

As the service was ongoing in Freetown, Church members in Bo, Kenema, and Makeni  also engaged in the cleaning of three marketplaces; Musa street market, Manjama and Salina Market.

Bo/Kenema Power Service Office (BKPS), and the Makeni Government Hospital, Ahmadiyya Hospital Kenema where 37 members donated blood. Councilor Umoru Tucker in Bo expressed his thanks and appreciation for the work done by the members of the church.

This year’s All Africa Service project ended successfully and people were very appreciative of the exercise. Passers-by and passengers onboard passing private and public vehicles applauded members with some using their mobile phones taking photo shots.