World Vision Support Lifts My Burdens, Set Me for Progress - Doonjine

“World Vision Ghana’s support has lifted my burdens and set me apart for progress," said Mpanna Doonjine, a farmer who once struggle to make ends meet. A 55-year old farmer lives in Bulingin, a farming community, situated in the Wa West District and nestled on a green vegetative landscape, about 20 kilometers from Wa, the regional capital of the Upper West.

World Vision Ghana interventions like the introduction of Savings for Transformation and registration and support for vulnerable children including Doonjine’s household have gradually changed the once struggling household to a thriving one.

Now, he is not just any farmer; he is a proud patriarch who is able to meet his sprawling household of 32 members, including his nine biological children, his four beloved wives, and 18 adopted children, each of whom after the passing of his five brothers, needed a guiding hand’s needs.   

As temperatures rise and rainfall become erratic, growing food for all-year round household consumption is challenging. “We have not had a drop of rain in the last three weeks. As a result, crops are wilting, and hunger and starvation are staring at our faces, Over the years now, we have witnessed reduced yields and suffered food insecurity and poverty," he said. 

In the changing climate, having large families leave farmers like Doonjine struggling to make ends meet. Reduced farm yields mean less income, less food, poverty, hunger, starvation and malnutrition. These factors heightened Doonjine fears.

In those times of uncertainty, a ray of hope broke through the clouds—World Vision Ghana arrived. With open arms and hearts brimming with compassion, world Vision Ghana supported families like Doonjine's, extending a hand where it was most needed. 

The organisation brought with them a bounty of aid: free school uniforms, bags, pens, and exercise books for the children, Savings for Transformation (S4T) concept which was magically transforming incomes and its access and opening opportunities for expansion, gardening to encourage all-year round farming of vegetables and trainings to impart new knowledge and behaviors for transformation.

For Doonjine, it was a breath of fresh air that lifted a significant weight off his shoulders. "This support has reduced my financial burden and positioned my children for a better future," he declared with tearful gratitude.

Not only that but the savings knowledge transformed his sources of income and improved financial access even in an emergence situation. He later abandoned charcoal production, to prevent deforestation and its consequences as result and instead ventured into animal rearing. “I took a loan to buy a female goat and now I have a thriving flock”, he said. 

As days gone by, Doonjine’s once-struggling household began to flourish. The animals he reared multiple and with the earnings, he reinvested in his farm, purchasing quality seeds and inputs as well as making use of animal droppings as manure.  "Now, I am able to feed my household and meet their financial needs," he beamed proudly.

With newfound hope, Doonjine realized that his household was not merely surviving; it was thriving. No longer did his children stay home for lack of learning materials or fees. They regularly attended school carrying their World Vision branded school bags with a sense of pride, ready to embrace their education and chase their dreams. 

“Children in my household only stay at home when they are unwell,” he often told others with his chest puffed out, holding his head high, “but not because they lack learning materials. World Vision has provided enough of that”, he said.

The once-burdened household has turned into a beacon of hope for their community. Doonjine became an advocate for responsible environmental practices, spreading the values of sustainability, savings, and child education in the community. 

With each passing day, Doonjine's dream did not fade but grew bigger. He hoped to expand his farm for better yields, ensuring sustainable food and income security for his household. 

In Bulingin community where shadows of despair once loomed large, the tale of Mpaanna Doonjine evolved into a story of resilience and strength. No longer just a farmer carrying burdens, he had transformed into a symbol of hope, demonstrating that with the right support, knowledge, and determination, dreams could blossom even in the driest of soils.

As the sun set each evening over the green landscape of Bulingin, Doonjine and his family looked forward to the dawn of a new day, filled with promise and possibility, knowing they were empowered by World Vision to shape their own destiny.