Latter-day Saint Charities Provides Clean Water and Improved Sanitation to Two Andhra Pradesh Schools

Children in Rajahamundry and nearby Samalkot are enjoying a healthier school environment thanks to recent improvements to drinking water and toilet facilities made possible by The Indian Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through its humanitarian arm, Latter-day Saint Charities (LDSC). 

Established in 1845, the Lutheran Aided High School serves 250 students in standards 6 through 10 in the city of Rajahmundry. Martin Siedlaka, a biology teacher at the school for 19 years, explained the problems faced at the site. “We have groundwater, but it is not good for drinking.  In addition to this, our toilets were old and dilapidated. The new reverse osmosis water purification system and toilet block for the girls will make for healthier and happier students.”

Present at the inauguration ceremony at the end of June were all the students, staff and school management, along with Prasad Badireddy, head of all Latter-day Saint congregations in and around Rajahmundry, and Taneti Raja Babu who leads a congregation in the city.    

Affirming the commitment of LDSC and the Church to the wellbeing of young people everywhere, Badireddy said, “We believe that children are a gift from God. Their health and welfare are important. We are so happy to be able to create a better environment for them here.”  

A similar project provided clean water and improvements to toilets and sanitation for the Whitteker Girls Hostel and School in the town of Samalkot. In addition, a donation of 60 new mattresses insured that the girls will no longer sleep on the cement floor.  

Speaking at the project’s concluding ceremony at the end of August, Vedurupaka Mahesh, leader of the Latter-day Saint congregation in nearby Kakinada, reminded those present of the importance of the family and the value of every individual. “We are all children of a loving Heavenly Father. It’s important that we serve and care for each other. These children are especially precious, and it’s a privilege to improve their situation in some way.”

Both the Lutheran Aided High School and the Whitteker Girls School are associated with the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church with whom LDSC has partnered in the past on various humanitarian projects. 

LDSC sponsors relief and development projects in 195 countries and territories and gives assistance without regard to race, religious affiliation, or nationality.