Ahafo Mine Communities to Create Jobs for Youth Through Nadef

By Michael Boateng

The ten Ahafo communities in the area of the Newmont Ahafo Mine operations are planning to jointly set up an industrial project that would help provide jobs for the youth, through funding from the Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF).

Nana Osei Kofi Abiri, Paramount Chief of Kenyasi No.1, revealed this during a media tour of the five Asutifi communities where Newmont Ghana Gold is operating.

The Paramount Chief of Kenyasi admitted that NADeF had hugely assisted the individual communities on varieties of projects, in the areas of education, health, human resource development, and social amenities among others, but would be better if all the ten communities decide on a common project that will help the youth acquire jobs.

According to Nana Osei Kofi Abiri, Kenyasi No.1 is planning to establish a Police Training Centre with its share of NADeF fund, to help improve the security situation in the area.

He said education has been a priority of the Kenyasi Traditional Council and the community members, hence most of the NADeF funding had been channeled to improve upon the standard of education, through the provision of infrastructure, teaching and learning materials, scholarships to needy students, and ICT centres among others.

Nana Osei Kofi Abiri disclosed that the intervention of NADeF had helped improve the standard of education in the area, and the community would not relent on such an effort, but continue to strive harder to achieve an enviable standard.

He, however, called for an upward review of the NADeF funds, saying, "for almost nine years of the establishment of NADeF, the amount has not been reviewed, and as the economic conditions continue to change, and prices of building materials and other items keep soaring, there is the need to review the funds allocated to the communities."

NADeF is a sustainable community development foundation, which was established in May 2008 through a Foundation Agreement developed and signed between Newmont Ghana Gold Limited and the Ahafo Social Responsibility Forum, represented by 10 Ahafo Mine communities, local government, regional government and civil society, to share resources granted to the foundation through an annual contribution from Newmont to support community development programmes in the area of the Mines' operations.

The annual contribution from Newmont comprises US$1 per ounce of gold produced, and 1% of net profit from the Ahafo Mine, which has accrued to GH¢54.2 million, with an Endowment Fund of GH¢37 million.

Over 100 social amenities and infrastructural projects have been constructed with funding from the Foundation, out of which two health training institutions have been established - the Ntotoroso College of Nursing and Yamfo College of Health both training over 800 students.

Also, there are seven health infrastructure, over 40 education infrastructure, and over 20 water and sanitation facilities among others.

During the media tour, the team visited the Kodiwohia Basic School, T.I Ahmaddiyah Basic School, Methodist Basic School, D /A Girls Basic School and the St. Peter's R/C Basic School to inspect the five-fully furnished ICT centers, provided through NADeF funding, at a total cost of GH¢610,213.60.

The team visited the newly-constructed six-unit classroom block of the Obeng Manu Presbyterian Basic School, which cost NADeF an amount of GH¢325,465.90 at Kenyasi No.1.

After a visit to the Ntotoroso College of Nursing, the team proceeded to the Bamboo Bike Factory at Gyedu, where the factory has a total staff of 38, which is to ensure youth employment and economic growth of the communities.

Youth, who are privileged to be employed at the Bamboo Bike factory, expressed how their lives had been changed, as they now have jobs as their source of livelihood to cater for their lives and that of their families.

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