Lubuse R/C Basic School. INSET: Benedict Rich handing over keys to the DCE
Golden Exotic Limited (GEL), a free zone enterprise, manufacturer of agricultural products, and Ghana’s largest exporter of bananas, has commissioned three facilities in various communities in the Shai-Osudoku District in Accra.
They include a six-unit classroom block at the Roman Catholic (RC) Basic School at Lubuse, 120 residential unit houses with facilities for teachers and nurses at Duffor and Adakope.
The commissioning of the facilities is in commemoration of GEL’s 20th anniversary, and the 10th anniversary of GEL being certified as a Fairtrade company.
Addressing dignitaries at the ceremony, General Manager, Benedict Rich, noted that the company, since it started operations 20 years ago, has made a conscious effort to support its operational communities with amenities, which include the provision of classroom blocks, renovation and construction of healthcare centres, bungalows for health workers and teachers, among other facilities.
“20 years ago, the vision was to create a company in Ghana that would not only excel in its field as banana growers and exporters, but also make a positive impact on the lives of individuals and communities around it.
“And today, as we look back, we can proudly say that we have been successful in realising that dream,” he said.
The three facilities, among other projects yet to be inaugurated, have been made possible due to Fairtrade Premium Receipts from customers in Europe, which amounts to about €1 million annually.
Mr. Rich announced that the company has completed 32 of its projects, which also include a workshop for the Vocational Training Centre at Osuwen, yet to be handed over to the relevant authorities.
The company has also refurbished the Kasunya 14-unit classrooms with offices and staff common rooms for the Roman Catholic and District Assembly /DA Schools, including the teachers’ bungalows and the maternal health department of the Osudoku Health Centre, with state-of-the-art medical equipment for the children in the community, and expected to be handed over before the end of January 2024. Communities like Kasunya, Nyapienya, Ayiborm, Gozakope, and Dunyokope are beneficiaries of the company’s Acclaira Water projects.
“We have also repainted the Akuse Hospital and Osudoku Health Centre. The Kasunya CHPS Compound was refurbished, equipped and commissioned this year. GEL will continue to support health-related activities and it is proud to say that its health screening programme this year around the communities was very successful and attracted over 3,500 persons,” he said.
With the recent spillage of the Akosombo and Kpong dams, Mr. Rich indicated that GEL donated some medical items to support the Osudoku Health Centre in taking care of those affected by the floods.
“Our major focus is on education, healthcare, water and sanitation. We believe that through strategic partnership, we will work hand in hand with the communities to address their needs and ensure sustainable growth,” he pointed out.
District Chief Executive of Shai Osudoku District, Fred Offei, said commissioning the three facilities would ease the tension and frustration nursing practitioners and teachers encounter in search of accommodation.
“The commissioning of these facilities will help address the many problems we are facing in the search for accommodation for our nurses and teachers who get posted in our communities here in the Shai Osudoku district,” he added.
Mr. Offei entreated them to practice a maintenance culture in order to serve the intended purpose of accommodating many workers for a longer period of time.
Nene Tetteh Otibo IV, Osudoku State Mankralo, on his part, expressed gratitude to Golden Exotic Limited for its years of support to the communities. He also called on other organisations to emulate the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative to support the indigenous people in Osudoku.
By Prince Fiifi Yorke