Golden Star donates classroom blocks to Akyempim

Golden Star Resources, Wassa Limited, has since 2006 invested an amount of US$610,920.00 out of a total of US$963,478.00 on community development projects.

The Golden Star Development Foundation, which was set up to carry out the company's corporate social responsibility programmes is funded with a dollar from every ounce of gold produced and sold by the company.

It aims at supporting communities in socio-economic areas such as providing scholarships and teachers' awards schemes in education and the provision of health, water and sanitation.

For the 2010/2011 academic year, 73 persons benefited from the Community Scholarship Scheme to the tune of US$19,491.00.

The total amount spent on the scheme so far is US$49,394.

Another $39,805 has also been spent on the teachers awards since 2008.

All these came to light during the commissioning of two separate three-unit classroom blocks for Akyempim School 'A' JHS Block and the Old Subri D.A. Primary.

The fully furnished classroom blocks have dual desks, staff common rooms and a four-seater KVIP. The Akyempim project cost $69,748.00, while the Old Subri facility, which includes the extension of electricity to the school for enhanced learning, cost $59.129.00.

The Akyempim community also in 2008, benefited from a six-unit classroom-block at the cost of $111,511.00.

Speaking on behalf of the company's General Manager, Mr. Neale Laffin, the Human Resource and Administration Manager, Mr. David Agyemang said Golden Star Resources, Wassa Mines, is sensitive to the needs of communities in its catchment area and stays in constant touch in fulfillment of one of its core values, which is to be partner of choice for host communities and governments.

He explained that the Akyempim school block was constructed after a consultation between the Community Mine Consultative Committee and the company following a rainstorm that destroyed a previous obsolete structure.

Mr. David Agyemang noted that the company was committed to moving on steadily with the employee/community wellness programme which seeks to look at the health of the people in its catchment area.

He advised community chiefs, parents, teachers and pupils alike, to maintain and make good use of the facilities for posterity to witness the contributions of Golden Star Wassa Limited, when the company is long gone and the mine is no more.