LUSAKA, Zambia -- The Perpetual Education Fund was taken to young adults of the Church's Lusaka Zambia District for the first time with a recent visit by Elder James C. Von Stetten and Sister Aleta Maureen Von Stetten, area missionaries for the PEF in the Africa Southeast Area.

The Perpetual Education Fund was introduced at the April 2001 general conference by then-President Gordon B. Hinckley, who announced a "bold initiative" to help youth in developing areas "step out of the cycle of poverty."

The PEF program helps ambitious, worthy young members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints receive training and education that lead to employment. It is modeled after the Perpetual Emigration Fund developed for the Church's early pioneers. As loans are repaid, the funds are re-circulated to provide opportunities for others.

The fund provides student loans to young people in selected developing nations and helps young people better provide for their families and grow in leadership and responsibility in the church. Eventually, it will strengthen individuals, families, and communities.

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This story is provided by the LDS Church News, an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is produced weekly by the Deseret News.