Latter-day Saint Charities Donates Books for Public Schools in Sarangani

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints places emphasis on the importance of not only continued spiritual learning but also secular education. With this in mind, Latter-day Saint Charities (LDSC), the humanitarian arm of the Church, donated approximately 17,400 hard-bound books with a value of 1.2 million pesos to the Provincial Government of Sarangani in Mindanao. 

The generous donation is for the 58 beneficiaries of the Last Mile Schools Program of the Department of Education. The recipients include 13 schools for Indigenous People (IP).

During the turnover ceremony held on 9 March, Jairus C. Perez, LDSC country manager, expressed gratitude on behalf of the organization for the opportunity to be part of the program that will benefit children in the province.

“The Lord Jesus Christ came to earth for our brothers and sisters who are underprivileged, to give them somehow hope,” he said. “With these little things from our end in projects like this, we are happy that these little children are our best beneficiaries.”

According to Perez, it is LDSC’s first project in the province with regards to donating books to schools located in the remote or ‘last mile’ areas.

The books, which were donations from the United States and Great Britain, will serve as references. They are not textbooks but are printed activity and literary books to supplement the learner’s education.  

To extend the lifespan of the books, Latter-day Saint Charities donated 120 pieces of sturdy covered storage bins as well.

Because sorting the books appropriately was a challenge due to the sheer quantity of books, young and senior missionaries as well as members went to the warehouse and volunteered time and effort to categorize, segregate and repack them.

The Department of Education’s Last Mile Schools Project is an initiative to address the gaps in facilities and resources of public schools situated in far-flung areas, specifically those geographically isolated, and disadvantaged and conflict-affected areas.

As education provides avenues for disadvantaged families to be self-reliant in the long term, Latter-day Saint Charities sponsored the project in order to help children improve their school performance.

LDSC follows the admonition of Jesus Christ, which is to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked and visit the sick and afflicted.

Its humanitarian support aims to lift those in need so they can, in turn, become self-reliant and help others in need.