By Marie Aziz Tunde
The Damang Mine of Gold Fields Ghana has through the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation offered 75 students from the Company’s operational areas full scholarships worth $240,000 to pursue tertiary education.
The scholarships cover fees, hostel accommodation and academic materials. This comes under the education and skills development intervention programme of the Foundation which also includes Graduate Training Programme, Community Apprenticeship Programme and the Heavy Duty Mine Equipment Training Programme.
Speaking to Twin City Radio, the Regional Manager, Sustainable Development and Head of Community Relations, Gold Fields Damang, Abdul Razak Yakubu said the company oftentimes is unable to get skilled labour from its host Communities which is misconstrued as not offering the people employment opportunities. The education and skills development is therefore to help the people to acquire the needed education and skills to make them employable in fields across the country.
”Since the inception of the Scholarship scheme, we have supported 747 students to the tune of a little over $1million with some of the beneficiaries becoming doctors, engineers, bankers, nurses and teachers among others who are in gainful employment”. Mr Razak Yakubu indicated that, in line with gender mainstreaming of Gold Fields, 49% of the current scholarship beneficiaries are women. Also, the focus is now on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education.
The Foundation has also awarded four persons with disabilities scholarships to pursue their education at the Akropong School for the blind.
“This is to eliminate any barriers that prevent them from accessing quality education in recognition of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability and PWD Act 2006 (Act715) which guarantees PWDs the right to education”, he said.
“We are not paying feeding allowances or stipends to the beneficiaries. This component goes to the parents as their contribution towards the education of their children”, he said.
Mr Razak Yakubu pointed out that, “the scholarship is subject to good academic performance and will be withdrawn if the opportunity is squandered through poor performance”.
A beneficiary, Miss Vivian Cudjoe said the scholarship has come to fill the void in their lives. “I lost hope of going to University after my father passed on. I heard the announcement that Gold Fields has opened the scholarship window which I applied for and was subsequently awarded to enable me pursue Medical Laboratory Science at the University of Ghana”, she said with joy.
She commended Gold Fields Foundation for helping to lift up the poor rural dweller up and giving them opportunities in life. Parents who witnessed the presentation cautioned the beneficiaries against inappropriate behaviour that will tarnish the image of their benefactor and the community. Rather, they should focus on their studies since education is the equaliser of opportunities.
