Goldfields invests $104 million in host communities
As part of its commitment to community development, the GoldFields Ghana Foundation has invested over US$104 million in transformative projects across its host communities, setting a new standard for corporate social responsibility in the mining industry.
This investment represents one of the largest private sector contributions to local development in the country.
Speaking at the launch of the a Quarterly Newsletter which is expected to share stories about the transformational impact of the foundation in host communities, the Vice President, External Affairs of GoldFields Ghana, Michael Edem Akafia said these investments have been channeled into high-impact projects targeting education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, water and sanitation, and enterprise development.
He said it’s social commitments tell a compelling story of how it prioritise positive and impactful relationships with host communities, a move which he says gives GoldFields the social licence to operate.
He said over 6,740 community members have directly benefited from the Foundation's flagship programs, including scholarships, apprenticeships, teacher support initiatives, and agricultural development projects.
Mr Akafia noted that education remained a cornerstone of the Foundation's investment strategy, with scholarship programs enabling hundreds of young people to pursue higher education who otherwise might have seen their academic journeys cut short by financial constraints.
He said the Foundation's apprenticeship program has also helped in addressing the critical skills gap in technical trades, providing practical training that translates directly into employment opportunities.
Recognizing the importance of quality teaching, the Foundation's teacher top-up program has also helped retain qualified educators in rural schools by providing additional financial incentives.
“It is crucial to mention that we invest in and provide gender inclusive solutions aimed at improving the incomes of host community members’” he said.
He said the indirect impact of these programmes and other infrastructural projects was vast, adding that the company expects to make even more of an impact going forward.
“As one of our key stakeholder groups, it is important to share these success stories with our people and business partners, so that you can all be proud of the many ways we are sharing the value we create with our communities.
“Whereas over the years we have been commissioning independent assessment of the impact of our host community investments, we believe it is necessary to complement that with this extra channel to provide additional perspectives on the impact the Foundation is making,” he added.