American Samoans are now enjoying a new swimming pool in Pago Pago thanks in part to a $25,000 contribution from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The pool complex, which includes a bathhouse and a children’s pool, is the country’s first community swimming pool. The facility was built to create a safe environment where swimming lessons can be taught as part of a national effort to reduce Samoa’s high rate of accidental drownings.
According to the American Samoa Swimming Association, the territory's annual rate of accidental deaths by drowning is seven times higher than in the United States.
The Church’s financial gift was presented by LDS Charities, which teamed up with government and community groups to support the project.
LDS Charities is the humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It sponsors relief and development projects in 189 countries and gives assistance without regard to race, religious affiliation, or nationality. Aid is based on the core principles of personal responsibility, community support, self-reliance, and sustainability.
The swimming pool was built by Fletcher Construction on property adjacent to the COMSAT earth station at Lions Park in Pago Pago.
The pool will be owned and operated by the American Samoa government