‘A Brighter Future’ highlights global relief society initiative
Apr 1, 2025, 6:56 PM | Updated: 7:01 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — The Relief Society, the women’s organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been leading a program for mothers, infants and young children throughout the world for the past 18 months.
A historic conference took place in 2024 in Ghana, West Africa. Representatives from eight charitable organizations united with the purpose of improving the lives of mothers and young children.
“I deeply appreciate the church for bringing us together,” Abdul-Mumin Damba Tahida, representing iDE Ghana said. “I‘m actually meeting most of the partners for the first time.”
Leaders of the Relief Society and Humanitarian Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints brought them together as partners in their global initiative.
“I applaud you for being willing to combine forces and model the incredible good that can be done,” member of the General Relief Society Presidency, Anette Dennis, said.
The statistics are staggering. According to the World Health Organization, as of 202, 149 million children under five are stunted or too short for their age and 45 million are too thin or underweight, due to malnutrition.
“To address difficult problems of childhood well-being, it has to be a holistic approach,” Director of the church’s Humanitarian Services, Sharon Eubank, said.
The Church has donated $44 million for nutritious food, clean water, and immunizations, and has earmarked another $55 million for preventing malnutrition and maternal healthcare in nations throughout Africa, Asia, Central, and South America.
The pilot program was launched in the Philippines in 2019.
“Some of our nutrition efforts have been global, and others of our efforts have been focused on our members, so we’re doing member-focused child nutrition,” said Relief Society General President Camille Johnson.
Church meetinghouses became community health centers for nutritional screenings for Latter-day Saints and for their neighbors.
In Lima, Peru, where the initiative launched a year ago, the women are seeing positive results.
“I see the love that our Heavenly Father has for each of his children, worrying not only about the spiritual but the physical well-being of each of his children,” church member Raquel Camarena Galvez said.
Join us for “A Brighter Future: Relief for Women and Children” Sunday, April 6 at 1 p.m., live on KSL TV, streaming, on ksltv.com and on our KSL app.
