The Managing Director of AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine, has revealed that the Mine is keen in helping to improve the standard of education in its catchment areas. Speaking at the Mine’s first Town Hall meeting in 2019, Eric Asubonteng highlighted the plans the Mine has put in place to make them realize that dream.
“There is a senior high school improvement program we want to embark on. From what I understand, the pass rate among the nine public senior highs under the Ghana Education service in our concession is quite low” he said.
“If I am not mistaken, I have been told it is about 30%” he added.
In order to improve education in its catchment areas, the Mine is embarking on the provision of textbooks and organizing of vacation classes. The Mine will also give scholarships to brilliant but needy students in its catchment areas to enable them enroll at the AngloGold Ashanti School.
The Obuasi Mine’s Boss revealed that though there already 1600 students at the AGA school, there are still some on waiting list. Due to this, the Mine will improve structures at the school to enable it to be able to absorb more students before the year ends.
“If we want to build the future of our youth and in particular, the people who will have the necessary skills that put them in the right position to secure jobs within the mine and other companies in the country then we have to start from that level where we are educating the young ones that are coming”, he said.
AngloGold Ashanti Ghana (AGAG), Obuasi Mine, last year donated four thousand (4000) books at the cost of Ninety Thousand Ghana Cedis (Gh¢90,000) to nine (9) Government Assisted Senior High Schools in its operational areas. The schools were selected from the Obuasi Municipal, Obuasi East, Amansie central, Adansi North, Akrofuom and Adansi South districts.
According to Nana Ampofo-Bekoe, then Sustainability Manager for AngloGold Ashanti, they made the donation as part of their effort to nurture and support a culture of learning in Adansi and Amansie schools.
“We want to give learners a helping hand to learn and pass their SSCE examinations and gain access to tertiary institutions of their choice”, he said.
Christ The King Senior High School, Obuasi Secondary Technical School, Akrofuom Senior High School, Asare Bediako Senior High School and Dompoase Senior High School all benefited from the project. The rest were Jacobu Senior High School, T. I Ahmadiyah Senior High School, Bodwesango Senior High School and New Edubiase Senior High School.