AGA Community Trust Fund offers scholarship to 120 tertiary students in Obuasi

The AGA-Obuasi Community Trust Fund has since 2019/2020 academic year disbursed a total of GHS180,000.00 in tertiary education grants to support 120 brilliant but needy students in the Mine operational areas.

This was revealed at a short ceremony in Obuasi to announce scholarships to the third batch of 40 beneficiary students. A total of 80 continuing students had already benefited from the first and second disbursements.

Dubbed the 'Tertiary Education Grant scheme' initiated in 2019, it is expected to enhance access to tertiary education and reduce the dropout rate from Senior High School to the tertiary level within the Mine catchment area.

So far, 42 students from the Obuasi Municipality have benefited from the scheme whiles 30 tertiary students from the Obuasi East District are also beneficiaries. Again 24 students each from the Amansie Central District and Adansi North District have also been awarded scholarships from the scheme.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Obuasi Honorable Elijah Adansi-Bonah who also serves as the Steering Committee Chairman of the AGA Community Trust Fund mentioned that the scheme this time had to focus more on students who are pursuing Mine related courses in tertiary institutions.

"Hitherto, most of the beneficiaries were students from the training colleges but the Steering Committee decided to also consider more of the students who are doing Mining related courses so that they can have a future in the mine after graduation," he stated.

The MCE called for collaboration between Anglogold Ashanti and the people of Obuasi. He said it is only through collaboration between the Mine and the people in its operational area that Obuasi can develop.

Honorable Adansi-Bonah advised the 40 beneficiaries who were made up of 22 males and 18 females, to take their studies seriously and be good ambassadors of the Scholarship scheme and Obuasi in general.

Nana Owi-Asamoah, Dunsinasehene of Fomena who represented the Adansihene thanked the AGA Community Trust Fund for prioritising education. He appealed to them to extend the scheme to those pursuing Masters and Doctoral levels of education.

Again, he said, based on the sensitive role played by medical officers, he admonished the steering committee to consider expanding the scholarship scheme to cover those in the medical field.

Emmanuel Baidoo, the Senior Manager, Sustainability at Anglogold Ashanti who had his speech read on his behalf said the Trust Fund exists to make investments in a way that contributes meaningfully to community development, aligns with the priorities of communities and local government. He noted that this will lead to a healthy relationship between Anglogold Ashanti and the communities.

He reiterated AGA's commitment to supporting the communities in which it operates to make sure they become better off.

The ceremony to disburse the scholarship comes on the heels of a sod cutting ceremony held by the Community Trust Fund about a month ago, to construct 2-Unit KG blocks for Binsere and Dokyiwa communities as well as drilling of boreholes at New Biakoyeden, Wioso and Bidiem Communities.