The Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF), the corporate social responsibility arm of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL), Ahafo South Mine, has awarded scholarships and apprenticeship packages totaling GHS6.2 million for youth empowerment in its mining communities in 2023.
Mrs. Elizabeth Opoku-Darko, the Executive Secretary of NADeF, disclosed this in her address at an end-of-year media gathering organised by Newmont Ahafo Mines Limited for journalists and radio talk show hosts in the Bono and Ahafo regions.
She said 1,175 beneficiaries, which comprised 1,070 tertiary students and 105 apprentices, were awarded scholarships.
Mrs. Opoku-Darko said two engineering students were receiving a GHS20,000.00 (Liebherr/NADeF Excellence Scholarship), while 12 youths were awarded a GHS113,044.00 (UMA/NADeF Community Excellence Scholarship) for academic and apprenticeship purposes.
She said besides the scholarships, NADeF had made efforts to economically empower individuals through its micro-credit support program, where more than GHS1.328 million had been disbursed to 697 beneficiaries.
Mrs. Opoku-Darko added that a business start-up capital support of GHS 350,000.00 had been loaned to a client to start a piggery business.
She said a number of projects were also completed within the period, citing the completion of the expansion works of the administration block, dais, staff changing, and washrooms of the Police Training School at Kenyasi Number One, Asutifi North District, and the completion of a three-story lecture block for the Yamfo Medical and Allied Health Training School in the Tano North Municipality.
Mrs. Opoku-Darko said other projects included the renovation works on the Twereku Ampem Senior High School buildings and the provision of furnishings, a mechanized borehole, and an elevated water storage facility, along with the installation of 100 bunk beds in the school dormitories at Ntotroso, Asutifi North, and a limited water supply facility established at Bissi Adrobaa, Tano North Municipality.
Mrs. Opoku-Darko said other projects included the renovation works on the Twereku Ampem Senior High School buildings and the provision of furnishings, a mechanized borehole, and an elevated water storage facility, along with the installation of 100 bunk beds in the school dormitories at Ntotroso, Asutifi North, and a limited water supply facility established at Bissi Adrobaa, Tano North Municipality.
She announced that the construction of a six-unit classroom block for the RC Primary School at Afrisipakrom was in progress, along with other projects, including the fencing of the Yamfo Royal Mausoleum and the construction of a three-story classroom block for the Terchire community in the Tano North Municipality.