Mr. Beasts Connection to Eagle, Idaho & Ghana

Ghana Make a Difference: A Calling, A Family, and A Mission of Rescue

Sometimes, a calling doesn’t come with a plan—it comes with a pull. For Austin, Executive Director of Ghana Make a Difference, that pull led him to West Africa. 

“I dropped out of college,” he says with a grin, trying to make light of a story much deeper in meaning. “Something was calling me to Africa, and I ended up going to Ghana. And the very next day, this cute girl from Idaho showed up.” 

That “cute girl” was Arianne, whose parents came to Ghana a few months later pursuing an adoption. The adoption process took longer than expected, keeping the family in the country for nearly a year. That time allowed them to witness the overwhelming need of the children around them—and sparked the founding of Ghana Make a Difference. 

“It started small,” Austin says, “but it evolved really quickly. We shelter kids who have been rescued from slavery or abandonment in Ghana.” 

What began as one family’s desire to help soon grew into a well-oiled operation. Now, 13 years later, the organization has a team of more than 50 employees on the ground in Ghana—social workers, directors, and caregivers all working together to provide immediate safety, stability, and long-term placement solutions for children emerging from unimaginable circumstances. 

“In fact,” Austin adds, “last year alone we rescued and placed 33 kids who were slaves.” 

Most of these children come out of Ghana’s fishing industry, where forced child labor is a persistent and deadly problem. Children are made to dive into deep, dangerous waters to untangle nets—often without knowing how to swim. Many don’t survive. 

But for those who do make it to the shelter, the experience is transformative. 

“When kids first arrive, you can see it in their eyes—glazed over, unsure who to trust,” Austin says. “But over time, they realize, no matter how they behave, they’ll get three meals a day and be surrounded by adults who have their best interests in mind.” 

The emotional healing is just as important as the physical rescue. And while many shelters around Africa are under-resourced and somber, Ghana Make a Difference takes a different approach. 

“The kids are happy. Like genuinely happy,” Austin says. “They sing, they laugh—it’s a real home.” 

The organization’s focus doesn’t stop at shelter. It also includes two other pillars: education and medical care. From schooling programs to social reintegration and building long-term support systems, the organization works to ensure every rescued child has a path forward. 

When asked how rescues happen, Austin explains that the organization partners with on-the-ground groups and works with the Ghanaian government. These in-country allies perform the dangerous task of identifying children at risk—often using information provided by previously rescued kids who tell them about friends still in captivity. 

“They’ll ask the kids, ‘Who else was with you? Who are your friends? Who still needs help?’” Austin explains. “That’s how a lot of our rescues happen.” 

The need remains immense, and the challenges are real. Yet the spirit of the organization remains grounded in love, community, and action. 

For Austin, it all began with a feeling—something he couldn’t shake—that led him halfway across the world. It led him to a wife, to a calling, and eventually, to the helm of an organization changing the lives of some of the most vulnerable children in Ghana. 

 “And just when the mission seemed to be hitting its stride, something even more unexpected happened—YouTube megastar MrBeast got involved.” 

In partnership with his philanthropy team, MrBeast helped Ghana Make a Difference build a state-of-the-art surgical center—a project that had long been a dream for the organization. Remarkably, the entire facility was completed in just six months. MrBeast filmed the surgical center build.  

“Six months,” Austin says, still in awe. “We couldn’t believe it.” 

This new surgical center is more than just a building—it’s a lifeline. It provides access to desperately needed medical care not only for the children in the shelter but also for the surrounding community. With so many kids arriving with untreated infections, injuries, or chronic health issues, the center has already become an essential part of the organization’s work.  

As of today, Ghana Make a Difference is providing comprehensive services for 107 children—children who’ve been rescued, sheltered, educated, and healed in both body and spirit. 

And while the surgical center is a milestone worth celebrating, the ongoing needs remain immense. 

At the end of our conversation, Austin looked up quietly and said, almost apologetically, “Do you think you could ask for donations within your article? I don’t know if that’s done or not, but it would really help.” 

He’s so humble—so focused on the mission—that even asking for help felt like a stretch. But make no mistake: the impact this organization is having in Ghana is real, it’s powerful, and it’s growing. 

If you feel moved by this story, please consider supporting Ghana Make a Difference. Every dollar truly does make a difference—for the child being pulled from the lake, for the boy finding his family again, for the girl who finally gets to sit in a classroom or receive life-saving surgery. 

To learn more or donate, visit: ghanamakeadifference.org