Gold Fields Ghana honours teachers in operational areas.

In its quest to improve and maintain high quality standard in the delivery of education in the host communities, Goldfields Ghana Limited Damang Mine, has awarded eleven teachers and school for being exceptional on their field of work.

The colourful event which took place Thursday November 22, 2018 at Huni-Valley in the Prestea Huni- Valley Municipality, put smiles on the faces of the beneficiaries and even their colleagues who did not receive award, amidst cheers from the school kids gathered at the Huni-Valley Methodist School park.

In his welcome address, the Acting General Manager of Gold Fields Ghana Limited, Damang Mine Augustine Wireko Asubonteng said, the company is committed to motivating teachers in the company’s host communities, to bring out their best to be able to impart the needed knowledge into the kids they interact with each day.

He said, over ten years now, Goldfields Ghana Limited apart from its scholarships scheme and investing in educational infrastructure, they have also been motivating teachers of the Nana Amoakwa School in Damang, which has since then produced good students and teachers including Mr. Jude Yiffah, who was crowned National Best Teacher in 2013.

“In 2013, one of the teachers Jude Yiffah who is currently the headmaster in Bompieso emerged as the National Best Teacher in Ghana. This year, all the candidates presented by Nana Amoakwa Model School for the BECE did not just pass the exams but also gained admission into top Senior High Schools in Ghana. The teachers attribute this sterling performance to the motivation they get from the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation.” He said.

Mr. Asubonteng in furtherance stated that, teachers must be awarded on earth for their good work done and not in heaven, as it has been widely said in the Ghanaian setting.

He mentioned that “teachers are going to receive awards today in recognition of their selfless dedication to educating our children. It is usually said that the reward for teachers is in heaven. But Gold Fields believes that this little gesture precedes the heavenly reward.”

The General Manager was elated that in 2018, managers and trustees of the Foundation agreed that, aside the Nana Amoakwa model School programme, another motivation package should be extended to teachers of other public basic schools in the host communities.

On his part, the Chairman for the occasion, the Divisional Chief of Bomsomtwi, Huni- Valley Nana Kwabena Amponsah IV, applauded Gold Fields Ghana Limited for the massive social cooperate responsibilities been undertaken in the host communities.

He said the contributions of the teacher in our society should not be underestimated, hence the step by Gold Fields Ghana Limited is in the right direction.

“The importance of the teacher in our education set-up cannot be denied. It is the teacher who imparts knowledge and skills into the pupils or students and responsible for the moral upbringing of the child” Nana stated.

Nana Kwabena Amponsah IV also said the award scheme was a laudable initiative that would motivate teachers to give out their best in the company’s host communities.

He has therfore suggested to the company that, the monies which were been spent on scholarships at the basic level be used to expand the number of scholarships offered at the tertiary level, in which part could also be used to expand the graduate training programme.

The eleven teachers who won award were from twenty five basic schools targeted in the nine host communities, namely, Subri, Koduakrom, Nyamebekyere, Kyekyewere and Damang. The rest were Huni- Valley, Amoanda, Bompieso and Aboso.

The beneficiaries took home double decker refrigerators and microwaves, television sets and more.

In all 39 teachers applied for the various categories, out of this were the eleven, who ultimately picked up the awards.

The objective of the programme is to encourage best teaching practice in the public schools, attract the best teaching skills to the host communities, boost annual BECE performance, uplift the general public’s image of teachers in the public schools, recognize, promote excellence in teaching and Honor dedicated, innovative and effective teachers and schools.

The Gold Fields Foundation spent over Ghc 60,000 for the maiden edition which the company is envisaging more than the amount in the consequent Damang Mine Host Communities Teachers Award.