Mormon Church

In December, 2009, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are sometimes called Mormons, announced that 40,000 people had so far been helped by a unique program known as the Perpetual Education Fund. The program began in 2001, the brainchild of former Mormon president Gordon B. Hinckley.

President Hinckley noticed that young people from developing nations grew tremendously during their missions. Young men who are at least nineteen and young women who are at least twenty-one can choose to serve missions for the church. Men serve for two years, and women serve for eighteen months. They are sent to a place far from home that the church selects. These young people often learn a new language. They are given training in a variety of skills that can translate into job skills, including leadership and motivational skills. They learn proper grooming and learn to look and act professionally. However, when they returned home to their villages, they were unable to put those new skills to work because they lacked education. (more…)