MrBeast Unveils Nearly $10 Million Ghana Village To Help Children Affected By Child Labour

American YouTube creator and philanthropist Jimmy Donaldson, widely known as MrBeast, has unveiled Abna Dakwa Village, a nearly $10 million community development project in Ghana designed to support families affected by child labour in the cocoa industry. Documented in a video released on September 19, the project is described by MrBeast as his largest humanitarian initiative to date. Built on previously undeveloped land, the village aims to address some of the economic pressures that can push children into hazardous agricultural work instead of education. The development followed around a year of planning and eight months of construction. It brings together housing, education, healthcare, clean drinking water and facilities intended to support local livelihoods.

Also Read: MrBeast Says His Next YouTube Video Cost $10 Million And Took More Than 1,000 Hours

What Has Been Built In Abna Dakwa Village?

The village includes a school equipped to educate more than 300 children, 10 homes for teachers, a medical clinic and a community marketplace. The development also features clean-water infrastructure, improved sanitation facilities and an off-grid solar power system installed with support from the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet.

Two large water towers are intended to provide clean drinking water, while agricultural facilities and fish tanks are designed to help strengthen local food production and self-sufficiency.

A school-meal programme is another central part of the initiative. Students are expected to receive free meals on every school day for the next five years, with support from The Rockefeller Foundation. The programme is intended to encourage attendance, improve nutrition and help keep children in classrooms.

The project was developed through a partnership involving the 1 Billion Followers Summit, the Varkey Foundation and Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives under the 1 Billion Acts of Kindness campaign. Other content creators from around the world also travelled to Ghana to take part in the work.

MrBeast Calls For Greater Accountability From Chocolate Companies

The Ghana project also connects with MrBeast’s chocolate company, Feastables, which has promoted ethically sourced cocoa and raised concerns about child labour in the cocoa supply chain.

In the video, MrBeast draws attention to children working in hazardous conditions on cocoa farms in West Africa and calls on consumers to demand greater responsibility from chocolate manufacturers.

“Big chocolate will not care about rampant child labour until you guys watching this video do something about it,” he said, urging viewers to press companies on their sourcing practices.

Child labour in cocoa-producing regions remains a documented concern. The International Labour Organisation and UNICEF have reported on children’s involvement in hazardous agricultural work in the region. Abna Dakwa Village is intended to address not only access to infrastructure, but also the economic circumstances that can make child labour more likely.

MrBeast Responds To Criticism Over Spending In Ghana

The unveiling also prompted discussion about why MrBeast was funding a major project overseas rather than directing more resources towards his hometown of Greenville, North Carolina.

One user on X questioned the focus on Ghana and cited poverty in Greenville. MrBeast responded by pointing to the work of his charitable organisation, Beast Philanthropy, in the United States.

“I literally do. I have a 501c non profit and have [distributed] 10s of MILLIONS of meals in America, many in my local community. If I listed all the philanthropic things we do locally, I literally wouldn’t be able to fit it in this tweet,” he wrote.

Newsweek reported that the creator had been contacted for comment.

A Look At MrBeast’s Other Philanthropic Projects

MrBeast’s charitable work has included initiatives focused on food security, environmental causes, healthcare and access to basic services.

Beast Pantry, launched in 2020, focuses on food distribution in Greenville and communities across eastern North Carolina. Newsweek reports that the programme has delivered more than 48 million meals and fed more than 15 million people.

In 2019, MrBeast and fellow YouTuber Mark Rober launched #TeamTrees, a fundraising campaign that aimed to plant 20 million trees. The campaign reached its $20 million goal in 56 days, and the project reports more than 25 million trees planted.

The pair launched #TeamSeas in 2021 to raise funds for removing waste from oceans, rivers and beaches. The initiative set a target of removing 30 million pounds of waste; the project reports that more than 34 million pounds have since been removed.

His medical initiatives have included funding cataract surgeries for 1,000 people in 2023, as documented in the video “1,000 Blind People See For The First Time”. Later that year, he funded hearing aids and medical procedures for 1,000 people through “1,000 Deaf People Hear for the First Time”. Beast Philanthropy has also provided support during disasters, including through food, clothing, hygiene products and emergency supplies.

The Long-Term Test For Abna Dakwa Village

Abna Dakwa Village places a substantial set of facilities at the centre of a community facing child-labour concerns. But the lasting impact of the project will depend on more than the construction itself.

The continued operation of the school, clinic, water and solar systems, alongside meal provision and livelihood opportunities, will be important to whether families can sustain access to education and alternatives to child labour over time.

For MrBeast, the project also extends his philanthropic work into a direct challenge to the cocoa industry, asking viewers to consider how consumer pressure and corporate sourcing practices relate to the conditions faced by children and families.