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The silent strength of a single father: Augustine Donzuo’s story
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The a world that often overlooks the silent burdens men carry, the story of Augustine Santiero Donzuo stands as a powerful reminder of resilience, sacrifice and unspoken struggles of single fatherhood.
As the world celebrates Father’s Day, it’s easy to focus on the traditional image of fatherhood which is provider, protector and a stern loving figure, but beyond these are silent struggles fathers go through especially single fathers.
For the past five years, Augustine has navigated life as a single parent of two children-a boy and a girl on his own while juggling the demands of work, education and emotional survival.
The story of Augustine is not just about parenting, it is about endurance, heartbreak, and an unwavering commitment to his children in the face of overwhelming odds.
He lives and works in Tarkwa in the Western Region, juggling life as a Fire officer, caretaker, and sole emotional support for his children.
His quiet strength is a reminder that fatherhood is not always loud. Sometimes, it’s found in the simple act of staying-when walking away would have been easier.
Augustine’s journey began in January 2010, when he married the woman he loved. Unknown to him at the time, she was already pregnant. Not long after their marriage, he was posted to the Upper West Region following his enlistment into the Ghana National Fire Service.
The distance tested their relationship early on. He tried his best to visit, and eventually brought her to join him. But subtle signs of strain began to show—mostly from his wife’s family. What began as minor disagreements cracked the foundation of their union.
By 2016, after six years of marriage, their relationship collapsed. Augustine was devastated. He had tried to reconcile, visiting her family, calling, sending money, but her responses became cold, distant, and final. “One day she told me, ‘I will never come today, I will never come tomorrow. I am not even bringing your children,” he recalls.
Despite the pain, he continued sending money for their upkeep. “I did it for my children,” he says. “Even when love is gone, responsibility remains.”
In 2017, Augustine’s ex-wife filed a complaint at Legal Aid, claiming neglect. But when questioned, her story shifted, first to abandonment, then to demanding more money. The panel quickly sensed the inconsistencies. Augustine explained how he had continued to support her, even buying food and supplies for her business which included loans he was still paying.
“What hurt me most was the dishonesty,” he says. “She told her family things I never said. At some point, I realised she didn’t want reconciliation, she wanted to cut ties, but with benefits.”
She requested GH¢700 monthly in support, a sum he said was impossible given his salary and loans. “Even after separation, I was paying school fees, buying clothes, sending money. If I wanted to walk away, I wouldn’t have spent a dime.”
Then, in 2018, came a moment that would change everything. One evening, his ex-wife returned the children, unexpectedly and without agreement. Accompanied by her father, she dropped them off, leaving Augustine to become a full-time single parent overnight.
“The girl was nine, the boy six. They didn’t say much. They just stood there, confused. I had to become everything for them, father, mother, friend, protector,” Augustine said.
What followed were years of sacrifice and solitude. Without nearby relatives or a strong support system, he had to rely entirely on himself.
He would leave work and rush home to cook, help with homework, do laundry, and nurse fevers. “I lost a lot,” he admits. “Friends, freedom, even parts of myself.” And yet, he never gave up.
Raising children is never easy, but doing it alone, while still carrying the weight of betrayal and financial hardship which left scars. Augustine recounts the long nights, praying his children would grow up healthy and happy despite the absence of their mother.
His daughter, now 15 and in SHS, has grown quieter. “There are days I just sit and cry,” he says. “When my daughter asks, I say ‘nothing.’ then she says, I see tears flowing, I will still say it’s nothing.
Augustine said there were moments he had considered giving up. “I had thoughts,” he confesses. “When life felt too heavy. When no one checked on me. “I understood why some people commit suicide,” he said.
But then I remembered I have two lives depending on me, if I am gone, who will take care of them?” That question has kept him going, one day at a time.
Today, Augustine’s children are thriving. His daughter is doing well in school, and his son has grown into a thoughtful, cheerful boy. But their success has come at a cost, paid for with sleepless nights, missed opportunities, and invisible emotional wounds.
“I don’t want pity,” he says. “I just want people to understand what fathers feel too. We cry, we break, but we don’t always show it,” he added.
This Father’s Day, Augustine’s journey reminds the world of the quiet fathers, who are often unseen and seldom celebrated.
They are the ones redefining fatherhood in Ghana and beyond, embodying responsibility, patience, and love in the most demanding circumstances.
For Augustine, he would not wish this life for his worst enemy,” but for him, there is purpose, “I will keep going because they need me, and that’s enough.”
Currently in Ghana, Father’s Day is gradually evolving with traditions often marked by cards, media tributes, and public applause, which reflects a growing appreciation of paternal sacrifice.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Mr Issahak Ibrahim, the Atwima Mponua District Chief Executive (DCE), has stressed the need to invest in initiatives that will encourage school children to read at all times.
He said a nation that invested in reading invested in its future, since a reading child was a potential future leader.
Speaking at the District Reading Festival for 32 schools in the district, at Nyinahin, he said reading strengthened literacy skills and inspired young leaders to unlock their full potentials while nurturing a lifelong love for learning, which leads to success.
Mr Ibrahim, therefore, enjoined teachers, parents, pupils and all stakeholders in the district to inspire every child to discover the limitless possibilities that begin with the act of reading in order to make it reflect the shared commitment to building a generation of confident readers, critical thinkers and lifelong learners in the society.
He pledged his commitment to support and empower more children and help them to achieve higher educational laurels in the area, while championing the cause of reading among children to achieve the related benefits.
“I remain committed to supporting educational initiatives that would empower our children with the knowledge and skills they needed to succeed in an ever-changing world,” he stated.
The festival was organised by the District Directorate of Education in conjunction with the ISMAT Foundation, a local educational non-governmental organisation (NGO) founded by the DCE, to support needy learners in the district and beyond.
The festival was under the theme: “Turn a page to begin a journey.”
The festival was aimed at encouraging and motivating the interest of pupils in reading and general learning.
All the 32 participating pupils from four zones within the district received school bags, exercise books, pens, pencils, erasers, mathematical sets and certificates.
Lawal Kwame from the Botrampa D/A Basic and Sadique Bamba from the Mpasatia African Faith Preparatory schools in the Nyinahin Zone, emerged first in the KG One and two classes, whilst Alice Fosu, Beatrice Sarfowaa and Priscilla Agyemang from the Adiembra Anglican Basic School also in the Nyinahin Zone, came first from Basic One to Basic Three classes respectively.
Ernest Duah from the Mampong Abebrese D/A and Blessing Sika from the Sreso Presby School in the Sreso Zone as well as Eric Osei Agyemang from Adiembra Anglican Basic School came first in the Upper Primary department.
Ms Ama Adwubi Asafu-Adjaye, the District Director of Education, commended the DCE for the programme, which was the first of its kind after the year 2022 one, which was supported by the USAID.
She said a Basic One boy called Obed Awuku from Mampong Abebrese D/A Basic School climbed from the district through a Regional contest, won and placed second at the national level in the year 2022 as one Salam Mohammed of the Otaakrom D/A Islamic Basic School, who also emerged as the 2024 winner in the district also placed fifth among the 16 regional participants even though they had a very short notice for preparation.
She said other achievements encouraged her and her management to make the programme an annual event in June and July as part of the activities on their academic calendar and a source of pride for the district.
She, therefore, encouraged the teachers to work harder to produce talented kids for higher achievements from the area. -GNA
The forecourt of the Gbewaa Palace, was a mixture of rich tradition and emotional scenes as thousands of mourners concluded the three-day adua for the late Overlord of Dagbon, Ndan Yaa Naa Abukari II.
For the period, the Gbewaa Palace became the spiritual and cultural heartbeat of the Dagbon Kingdom as Islamic clerics, traditional rulers, politicians, security personnel and ordinary citizens united in prayer for the repose of the soul of the revered monarch.
From dawn each day, streams of mourners, mostly dressed in traditional smocks and black attire, steadily filled the palace grounds and adjoining streets, transforming the royal seat into a sea of mourners.
Men, women, youth and children sat under canopies and open spaces while verses from the Holy Qur’an echoed across the palace, creating an atmosphere of reverence and reflection.
The air occasionally reverberated with ceremonial gunshots and traditional warrior displays, symbolising honour, bravery and the rich cultural heritage of the Dagbon Kingdom.
The adua, observed in accordance with Islamic tradition following the burial of the Yaa Naa, was attended by eminent Imams and Mallams who offered continuous prayers, seeking Allah’s mercy and eternal peace for the departed King.
Throughout the three-day observance, a steady flow of dignitaries visited the Gbewaa Palace to pay their respects and sign the book of condolence.
Among them were the Northern Regional Minister, Ali Adolf John Mburidiba; the Savannah Regional Minister, Salisu Be-Awuribe Issifu; and the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, who joined members of the royal family, traditional rulers and mourners in honouring the late Yaa Naa.
Security remained tight throughout the mourning period, with the Ghana Police Service deploying 450 personnel to ensure law and order.
The officers were stationed at strategic locations, including the Gbewaa Palace, major entry points into Yendi and other key installations, where they managed traffic, maintained public order and provided security for thousands of mourners and visiting dignitaries.
Beyond the official ceremonies, the event reflected the deep respect the people of Dagbon and Ghanaians at large had for the late monarch.
The conclusion of the three-day adua marks another important milestone in the funeral rites of the late Yaa Naa and signals the gradual transition towards the customary processes leading to the selection and enskinment of a new Overlord of the Dagbon Kingdom.
Although the formal three-day prayers have ended, mourning activities continue, with the seventh-day Islamic prayers expected to draw another large gathering of traditional authorities, government officials, religious leaders and well-wishers from across the country.
From: Geoffrey Buta, Yendi
