Gold Fields Approves US$3m For Community Projects

The trustees of the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation have approved various projects and sustainable development programmes in 16 communities and some institutions in the catchment area of the company in the Western Region.

The projects, which will focus on education, health, water and sanitation, agriculture and electrification, are expected to cost US$3,093,569.59.

At an annual general meeting and programmes update session to select projects for 2011, the Chairman of the foundation, Mr Peter Turner, confirmed that the selected projects would benefit 16 communities and some major institutions within the operational areas of Gold Fields Ghana in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem municipality and the Prestea/Huni-Valley District where the Tarkwa and Damang mines of the company are located.

Mr Turner explained that the 2011 social investment expenditure of the foundation would focus on education, with school infrastructure improvement and development, scholarships and bursaries, teacher training and support schemes, including community apprenticeship programmes, receiving 25 per cent of the total vote.

On health, water and sanitation, which could take 32 per cent of the total budget, Mr Turner said a new clinic would be built for Damang and potable water provided for four rural communities under the small town water supply system.

Additionally, existing community health facilitators (CHFs) would be retrained to continue to provide useful health interventions in the communities where there were no clinics.

Furthermore a number of hand-dug wells would be rehabilitated and the community water and sanitation committees retrained to run existing and new water systems.

According to Mr Turner, 16 per cent of the foundation's budget was allocated to the development of agribusiness where programmes had been developed to take a leading role in engaging the youth in the catchment areas to take up agriculture as a business.

Under the programme, he said, a number of aquaculture projects would be undertaken, as well as assistance to the communities to take up vegetable farming as a means of improving on their livelihood.

Additionally, beneficiaries of the foundation’s five-year Sustainable Economic Empowerment and Development (SEED) programme would be further assisted to improve on their farm yields with support in the form of the provision of farm inputs such as fertilisers, weedicides, machetes and boots.

While the focus of this year’s projects is education, health, water and sanitation, road rehabilitation is also expected to engage the attention of the foundation.

The trustees approved the tarring of the road from Samahu to Pepesa in phases, commencing with phase one in 2011 to open up the rural communities and provide access to markets for their farm produce.

They also approved the provision of electricity poles for Abekoase, Tebe, Huniso and Pepesa under the government’s Self Help Electrification Programme (SHEP).

On sports sponsorship, Medeama S/C, a Tarkwa-based club, will be assisted this year to ensure that people in the operational area watch Premier League matches.

The trustees also received and approved the foundation’s 2010 audited accounts and reviewed projects and programmes that were approved and undertaken during the 2010 calendar year.

Mr Turner, who is also the Executive Vice-President of Gold Fields’ West Africa operations, commended the community affairs team of the respective mines for their diligence and effective engagement of the communities and the execution of the projects.