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Goldfields Ghana Limited (GGL) Tarkwa Mine, has allocated $ 384.842 to support the education sector in its host communities this year. The amount would be used for the provision of a three- bedroom accommodation for the Tarkwa Nsueam Municipal Education Directorate, teachers’ award, provision of more furniture for schools, motorbikes for the directorates to support supervision and monitoring of schools as well as scholarships and bursary awards.
The General Manager, Mr Stephen Osei-Bempah who announced this during the mines first quarter community consultative committee meeting and 2016 scholarship award ceremony, said the company had already provided class room blocks, furniture for all communities schools, Information Communication Technology laboratory, teachers quarters, potable water for schools, scholarships and support to motivate teachers to give off their best.
He said to increase access to education for brilliant, but needy children in its eight host communities to pursue Secondary and tertiary education, a scholarship scheme was instituted in 2005, and since then the mine through its foundation has assisted 1,245 students.
Out of the number, he said 475 were scholarship beneficiaries and 770 got bursaries. Mr Osei-Bempah said for the 2016/2017 academic year scholarship and bursary awards were given to only 150 students out of the 300 applicants who appeared before a panel. “The knowledge and skills acquired through education by our youth will drive their employability, productivity, health and well-being in the decades to come and this will ensure that our host communities will thrive and our company too will thrive because we can employ skills and talents from our local communities,” he noted.
He urged the recipients to be serious with their studies to enable them enjoy the scholarship or bursary throughout their stay in school. The General Manager also warned the beneficiaries that their performance would be monitored and authorities of the foundation would not hesitate to withdraw anyone who did not live up to expectation.
Madam Anastasia Kunta, Tarkwa Nsueam Municipal Education Director said GGL over the past years had contributed immensely to the communities in which they operated. Dr Nana Adarkwa Bediako II, Gyasehene of Apinto Divisional Council entreated the authorities of the Tarkwa Nsueam and Prestea Huni/Valley assemblies not to channel all their problems to the mining companies, but instead assist in the development of their communities.
