President Johnson Sees Church’s Impact on Sri Lankan Families

Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson visited Sri Lanka last week to witness the tangible effect that funding from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is having on women and children in the South Asian nation.

Her visit, which lasted from May 19 to May 22, 2025, included tours of local nutrition and education initiatives led by UNICEF. She was ed by her husband, Doug, as well as Church Humanitarian Services Director Sharon Eubank and Elder Kelly R. Johnson of the Asia Area Presidency and his wife, Terri.

“It has been a sweet opportunity to be here in Sri Lanka to see that we are working so well together — Church humanitarian services, the Asia Area and UNICEF,” President Johnson said. “Rather than a patchwork of projects, we’re coming together united by this opportunity to really do some good for women and children.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has ed UNICEF’s work since 2013. Part of this includes UNICEF’s “No Time to Waste” initiative, which focuses on enhancing diets and preventing, detecting and treating severe malnutrition in early childhood.

In Sri Lanka, US$500,000 in Church funds have helped UNICEF train more than 2,660 health workers to prevent and treat malnutrition in children, especially those who aren’t growing as they should. During National Nutrition Month in June 2023, more than 1.3 million children under 5 were assessed for their growth and health. Of these, about one in four (nearly 350,000 children) showed signs of not growing properly. These children and their families then learned more about the types of foods and activities to help them get back on track.

The Church of Jesus Christ’s has also helped UNICEF in Sri Lanka recover from educational disruptions from COVID-19 and an economic crisis. UNICEF is providing learning materials and catch-up programs for 74,500 primary students in 450 schools in Sri Lanka’s Eastern and Sabaragamuwa Provinces.

“An innovative learning recovery initiative has been put in place to train teachers to identify and address the unique needs of each child in the class, helping those lagging behind to catch up through additional efforts,” said Christian Skoog, UNICEF Representative, Sri Lanka. “This collaboration in Sri Lanka has demonstrated the power of coming together, and UNICEF counts on the Church to continue and expand this truly meaningful collaboration.”

President Johnson visited a clinic, a hospital, a primary school and preschools in Sabaragamuwa Province. She said she was especially pleased to see firsthand the resources available for mothers and their children, including books on child nutrition and breastfeeding. She was also pleased to see women coming together in the community.

“It was especially wonderful to see the women ing each other, to come together and see them lifting one another and sharing what they’ve learned about their best practices as a mother with their friends,” President Johnson said.

Elder Kelly R. Johnson said he was struck by the goodness he saw while touring these sites.

“There are so many good people out here,” Elder Johnson said. “Our collaborators here at UNICEF are great people wanting to do good. The people at the hospitals, the clinics, and the facilities we went to want to do good. And there are so many good people out here who are trying to make a difference. It’s just a joy to be a part of lifting communities and individuals and blessing lives.”

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This work in Sri Lanka is a significant but single component of the Church’s broad and sustained efforts to uplift women and children around the world, often in collaboration with organizations like UNICEF.

Darla Silva, Chief Program Officer at UNICEF USA, said UNICEF has delivered life-changing to children and families across 40 countries thanks to help from the Church.

“Being here in Sri Lanka, seeing the tangible impact of that is deeply moving,” Silva said. “I leave inspired and grateful for the commitment we share to the growth of every child and to uplift communities around the world.”

UNICEF does not endorse any company, brand, organization, product or service.