A Stranger’s Love – Giving in Motion Visits West Gonja
Story & Photos by: Jason Amoo
Giving in Motion, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing clean water to families, has once again visited the West Gonja district for the sixth time in a row. This year, a team of seven led by founders of the organization, Pat Williams and Lyné Brown, visited sixteen Children from different communities in the district.
At every home they visited, children came out running upon seeing their sponsors and with almost every warm hug a tear was shed. It was quite an emotional experience to see the children relate and bond with their sponsors as though both parties meant everything to the other.
From the conversations, to the sharing of gifts and in some instances drop-off at school, each moment felt like heaven. Hubaida, 13, when asked why she was crying by her sponsor said “I can’t believe you travelled all the from America just to see me”. In another instance, Zumtegah, 14, after receiving gifts from his sponsor, requested for a Bible because he never had one and wanted to have one he could take to church and read in his spare time.
The icing on the cake was a party for the children and their families. The beauty of seeing children dancing, playing, and enjoying every moment with their sponsors can best be described with the smiles, laughter and warmth from the children knowing there is hope for a brighter future.
As part of activities for the trip, the team always visits communities with the aim of identifying challenges they can help resolve. This year, they visited Asabore, a community that has been declared open defecation free yet had a dire need for potable water. After interactions with community members, the delegation journeyed four kilometers to the only water source for the community. This was a mud hole that collects water when it rains and since it was the dry season, there was hardly any water left. The little available had been taken over by a swarm of bees and other insects. Even more devastating was the sight of a young man fetching and drinking the muddy water like his life depended on it.
In disbelief, the Giving in Motion team, promised to ensure the community got a borehole. “As you drank out of this bottle (bottled water) we are going to bring clean water to you and your village via World Vision in the near future” remarked Pat Williams to the chief, during discussions after visiting the water source.
The team also commissioned a mechanized water system for the Damango Nurses Training School that provides water for the school, an adjoining clinic and homes. According to the School's Principal, the school used to buy water from water tanks and could not provide water for the students. This complelled students to usually fetched water from nearby dams.
For decades, World Vision’s sponsorship programme has connected millions of children from deprived and vulnerable communities with sponsors whose donations help provide education and improved livelihoods for these children and their communities. Occasionally, sponsors get to visit the children in their communities and this is always an indescribable experience filled with love.