LDS Aid

Two professors, one a Cornell-trained BYU professor of nutrition, have been working to improve the Atmit porridge that is often given out in LDS care packages. The hope is that it will be even better for small children with a better mix of micronutrients (particularly more iron) but without compromising on shelf-life. Another article describes its dissemination in poor areas of Peru.

A single serving provides 34 percent of the recommended daily allowance of protein, 43 percent of calcium, 99 percent of iron, and high percentages for a dozen vitamins and minerals for children under 5 years old. ... 
In 2010, 645,000 pounds of Atmit were shipped by LDS Charities to four countries. Depending upon the age and size of the children, that's enough to feed 100,000 to 130,000 children for one month. The cost? Less than $6 (USD) per child.

LDS efforts to help those suffering from the famine in the Horn of Africa:

In Ethiopia, projects to aid more than 100,000 refugees are under way, including water tanks, trucking services, sanitation supplies and hygiene training for 15 villages; supplementary food for 8,700 malnourished children; nutrition centers and sanitation facilities for Somali refugees in Dollo Ado; and 5,000 hygiene kits.
The Church also plans to provide water catchment and storage structures, as well as soap and washbasins to serve tens of thousands of other residents in the communities surrounding the Dollo Ado camps.

Other projects in Kenya, Uganda, and Somalia are also underway and briefly described at the link.



At the most recent General Conference, Church President Thomas S. Monson reminded members about the General Temple Patron Fund. Donations from members around the world are used to help members who live far from a temple travel there. A recent article highlighted some of the saints in southeastern Africa who have been blessed by the Fund:

The Church has enjoyed remarkable growth in the Africa Southeast Area in recent years. The area includes more than 130,000 members living in more than a dozen nations stretched across thousands of miles. But only one temple — the Johannesburg South Africa Temple — is found in the area. ...
When Joyce Tadokera arrived at the Johannesburg South Africa Temple she could not believe her good fortune. She had often wondered if she would ever step foot inside a dedicated temple.
Sister Tadokera calls her journey from her native land of Zimbabwe to South Africa "a miracle trip."
"The temple is a place we should always want to be," she wrote. "The peace I felt was awesome. I had a wonderful experience. I was able to participate in the vicarious baptism for my mother and the sealing of my parents for time and all eternity. I know that this Church is true, and I have a testimony of the temple."

In answer to many prayers, Pres. Monson also announced the creation of a temple in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 25 years after being officially recognized by the country. 

"The Congolese Saints are alternately weeping and jumping for joy," Elder Renlund said. "Few Congolese Saints have been able to enjoy the blessings of the temple because of distance, cost and visa issues. Most who have come to the Johannesburg South Africa Temple, which is 2,100 miles away, have been aided by the General Temple Patron Assistance Fund that President Monson mentioned as he announced the new temples." 

Also highlighted recently: a project by New Zealand latter-day saints and their friends to provide Fijian children with books. 18 tons of books were gathered and will arrive in Fiji this month.