NGGL's Ahafo Mine helping to develop Afrisipa - Chief

Afrisipa (B/A), May 20,  GNA - Nana Afrisipa Bonini Nkrawiri V, Chief of Afrisipa, a mining community in the Tano North District, has said the advent of Newmont Ghana Gold (NGGL), in the area has enhanced the level of development in the town.

He said water, health and educational systems in the area had improved tremendously since 2008 when the Ahafo Mine began operations and was optimistic that the company would continue to help find solutions to some of the peculiar needs of the people.

Nana Bonini V made this known during a free health screening exercise organised by the NGGL in collaboration with Breast Care International, a Non-Governmental Organisation.

More than 500 women and 600 men benefited from the eye and breast screening exercise, which formed part of activities lined-up to mark the 5th anniversary celebration of the establishment of Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF) in the community.

NADeF was established by the Ahafo Mine in 2008 to spearhead the execution of development projects in the 10 host communities around the mine and NGGL contributes one dollar per ounce of gold produced and one percent of its annual net profit to the foundation.

Nana Bonini V said with the execution of Newmont's social responsibility programme, many women in the area had been empowered to go into large scale farming while most of the youth had also acquired various skills training.

He explained because of these and a number of interventions, the level of poverty in the town had gone down.

Mr Bismark Adjin-Frimpong, chairman of the Community's Sustainable Development Committee, said Arisipa had benefited from a library complex furnished with 15 computers and two mechanized boreholes while 100 students have also obtained scholarship from NADeF.

He said the community had also proposed for a teachers quarters which had been approved with work on the project expected to commence in June this year.

Mr Adjin-Frimpong commended NGGGL Ahafo Mine for adhering to its social responsibility programme in the area and appealed to the company to construct additional toilets and boreholes for residents.

GNA