Newmont Foundation offers GH¢9.3m in scholarships
The Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF) has supported 6,973 young people with a total of GHȼ9,352,426.77 to pursue academic careers and learn vocational trades in communities within the operation area of the Newmont Ahafo Mine.
Mrs. Elizabeth Opoku-Darko, the Executive Secretary, who announced this said the beneficiaries included students in senior high school (SHS) and tertiary institutions as well as apprentices.
The Foundation had additionally disbursed GHȼ437,500 in loans to 1,287 people engaged in small-scale business ventures, something she indicated, had helped to economically empower many.
She was interacting with a cross section of journalists in the Brong-Ahafo Region in Sunyani to discuss ways of working together to bring progress to the people.
The Mine has been contributing US$1 per each ounce of gold produced and one per cent of its net profit after tax to the Foundation.
Mrs. Opoku-Darko said NADeF had successfully completed 85 projects across the 10 host mining communities in the Asutifi North and Tano North Districts.
She said the inability of the communities to collaborate and establish a jointly-funded economically productive venture, to give job opportunities to the people, remained a major challenge.
Ms. Monica Nkrumah, the Chairperson of the Governing Board of the Foundation, said environmental sustainability with emphasis on natural resource protection and cultural heritage promotion was one of its top priorities.
That, none of the communities had ever submitted a proposal for funding to undertake a project relating to the protection and sustainability of the environment, remained a big worry.
Ms. Nkrumah therefore appealed to the media to assist in educating the communities to incorporate the environment into their socio-economic development agenda.
NADeF “is a sustainable community development Foundation established in 2008 as a mechanism to manage Newmont Ghana Gold Limited’s (NGGL) sustainable community development commitment to its 10 host communities”.
Its vision is to support the communities to achieve prosperity and self-reliance based on its mission “to empower communities through grants, knowledge-sharing, partnership and capacity building to achieve sustainable development”.
The Foundation has seven major areas of development – human resource, economic empowerment, infrastructural development, social amenities provision, natural resource protection, cultural heritage and sports.
The Newmont Ahafo Mine has been operating in Kenyasi Nunber One, Kenyasi Number Two, Ntotroso, Gyedu and Wamahinso in the Asutifi North and Afirisipakrom, Adrobaa, Terchire, Susuanso and Yamfo in the Tano North.
Source: GNA