AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine, has commissioned a 20-seater toilet facility at Anyinam, a suburb of Obuasi. The facility is expected to serve over 2000 beneficiaries in the community. The project is as a result of the mining giant’s commitment to making communities in its catchment areas better off.
Speaking at the commissioning of the project, Nana Ampofo Bekoe, Sustainability Manager of AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine, noted that, the facility is a response to the communities request.
“We did a needs assessment with the community and you decided a toilet facility was on top of your priorities so we decided to construct this project”, he said.
“The contractor and some of the community members did a very good supervisory job and we can’t go without acknowledging their efforts. The contractor completed the project 4 weeks before the expected date of completion”, he added.
He tasked the community to take very care of the facility which has cost the company GHc200,000.
The regent of Anyinam, Nana Tawiah also thanked the Mine for the kind gesture and asked his people to patronise the facility.
“There is something called open defecation and I am advising you that since this facility is now here, we should put a stop to it and make good use of the facility”, he advised.
According to UNICEF, four in every five Ghanaians do not have access to toilet facilities. This has contributed to open defecation in some communities and the Mine sought to solve such a problem in the Anyinam community. The facility is part of AGA’s community investment for the year to improve sanitation within the community and seeks to provide a healthy living environment free from diseases and illness associated with bad sanitation processes.
Mrs Faustina Ammisah, the Presiding Member and Assembly woman for Ahansonyewodea, who represented the Obuasi Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Elijah Bonnah, revealed the good relationship between the Anyinam Community and the giant mining company:
“Anyinam and AGA is like a husband and wife. The relationship has been cordial and I believe a lot is on the table for this community”, she said.
The 20-seater toilet facility consists of a 60m3 biodigester and a Rambo 500 polytank serving as a reservoir with concrete platform. The facility comprises of a 10 male and 10 female cubicles, hand washing sinks, a store room and an attendant room,
The community has been relying on an old KVIP toilet for many years so the commissioning of the project was great news for them. The queen mother and community members joined in the celebration by dancing to music after the event.
Speaking to some community members, they expressed their appreciation to the mine but still asks for more.
“This facility is an important one, I mean a necessity. But we are pleading for jobs too. The Mine should help us”, one young man who mentioned his name as Francis said.