An Early Childhood Center
Gold Fields Ghana Limited (GFGL), Damang Mine, a gold mining company, has inaugurated projects worth $3 million at a ceremony at Huni Valley in the Prestea-Huni Valley District of the Western Region.
The projects included a mineral laboratory for the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT) and a teachers’ bungalow at Koduakrom.
The rest included three-bedroom bungalow for the area’s Directorate of Education Service, a three unit classroom Early Childhood Development Centre and the renovation of Akoon MA primary and Junior High School.
The projects, constructed under the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, also included two eight-seater water closet facilities for Subri and Bompieso, all in the district.
At a ceremony to officially hand over the projects, David Johnson, Vice President, Stakeholder Relation of Gold Fields West Africa, noted that the company is committed to socio-economic development of Ghana, particularly its primary stakeholder communities.
He explained that “Every ounce of gold that we produce, a dollar is given to the Foundation. This is topped up with 1 percent of the mine’s pre-tax profit, creating a substantial funding stream for development of communities within our operational areas.”
He pointed out that supporting education remains one of the major priorities of the company, knowing that the best legacy the company could leave for its communities was development of the human capital.
Mr Johnson noted that the millions of dollars invested in projects and programmes were necessary, adding “Our greatest joy and interest lie in the impact our interventions on the lives of individual community members.”
He added that with funding from the Gold Fields Foundation, the mine had set up a teachers’ motivation scheme through which the mine paid a top-up allowance of up to 70 percent of the teachers’ basic salaries.
He revealed that in a few months, the mining company would hand over a 33 kilometer road to the government, following a pledge Gold Fields made to rehabilitate and upgrade the Tarkwa -Damang Road into a first class asphalt road.
“The $21 million which Gold Fields has committed to the project will help to speed up socio-economic development of communities along the road corridor,” he disclosed.
The Acting Manager of Gold Fields, Damang Mine, Augustine Wireko Asubonteng, mentioned that the foundation donated four motorbikes to the Ghana Education Service (GES) in Tarkwa to enhance teacher supervision.
“Over $160,000 has also been spent in training 40 community members in mining related skills,” he added.
The Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Director of Education, Alex Kweku Duah, thanked Gold Fields for supporting the improvement of education in the area and promised that the facilities would be put to good use and maintained very well.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Huni Valley