Gold Fields Ghana Foundation awards scholarships to 150 tertiary students

The Gold Fields Ghana Foundation has awarded scholarships to 150 tertiary students from its host communities as part of its continued support for education.

The beneficiaries, comprising 86 females, were presented with the scholarships at a ceremony held at the Akoon Clubhouse, Green Compound.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Vice President, Community, Gold Fields Ghana Limited, Dr Celestina Allotey, said the Foundation’s scholarship programme was intended to help address financial barriers that could prevent young people from pursuing tertiary education.

She said the scholarship programme, introduced in 2005, had so far supported more than 3,000 students from Gold Fields’ host communities.

Dr Allotey said the latest beneficiaries included 50 students who had received their basic education in schools within the company’s host communities, describing this as an indication of the impact of investments in education at the community level.

She noted that Gold Fields Ghana Foundation’s education interventions also included the provision of classroom blocks and furniture, potable water for schools, a Smart Lab and Innovation Centre at New Atuabo, reading materials and the Vacation Initiative in Basic Education (VIBE) programme.

According to her, the Foundation had distributed more than 40,000 learning materials to children in its host communities through its reading programme.

She also announced that Gold Fields would provide Toyota Hiace vehicles to the Ghana Education Service offices in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem and Prestea-Huni Valley Municipal Assemblies to support school supervision and monitoring.

Dr Allotey encouraged the scholarship beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity, maintain good academic performance and use their education and skills to contribute to their communities and Ghana.

She also urged them to participate in the Foundation’s planned Lecture Hall to Workplace series, which is intended to provide practical skills and help prepare beneficiaries for the world of work.

The Gold Fields Ghana Foundation operates development programmes across the company’s 12 host communities, with interventions covering education, health, water and sanitation, infrastructure, skills development and agriculture.