The Damang Mine of Gold Fields Ghana (GFG) has, through the Gold Fields Ghana
Foundation (GFGF), offered twenty-five (25) students from the Company’s operational
areas full scholarships.
The students, all from University of Cape Coast, received GH¢6,000 annually, for the payment of school fees, hostel bills and other academic materials.
The beneficiaries also received laptop computers and textbooks.
Subject to their academic performances, the scholarships cover the entire years of the beneficiaries’ tertiary education.
In view of this, the Foundation in collaboration with the Students’ Financial Support Office (STuFSO-UCC) sensitized the beneficiary students on the need to take their
studies seriously to justify the investment being made in their education.
Addressing the gathering, the Community Affairs and Stakeholders Engagement Manager of the Damang Mine of Gold Fields Ghana, Mr. Abdel- Razak Yakubu, said GFGF sought to support the development of human resources in its impacted
communities.
Over the past years, he added, the Foundation had contributed immensely to the communities in which they operated.
He said, “So far, the GFGF scholarship Scheme had supported seven hundred and seventy (747) students to the tune of $1.4 million.”
Mr. Yakubu explained that GFG was of the hope that the development of the human capital through education and skill development was the most effective tool to overcome
poverty in Ghana, particularly in its host communities.
However, he said the main focus of the Foundation was now on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics education.
Nonetheless, he pointed out that students with humanities background were considered sometimes for the scholarship.
The Foundation, according to him, had also awarded persons with disabilities scholarship to pursue their education at the Akropong School for the Blind.
In line with gender mainstreaming, Mr Razak Yakubu announced that 49% of the current scholarship beneficiaries were women.
He said a good number of students under the scholarship programme had graduated with excellent results and advised the current beneficiaries to take their studies
seriously so as to enjoy the scholarship throughout their stay in school.
Mr Razak Yakubu also warned the beneficiaries that their performance would be monitored and authorities of the Foundation would not hesitate to withdraw anyone who
did not live up to expectation.
The Pro Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Rosemond Boohene, in a remark, commended the management of the Foundation for the initiative and urged the beneficiaries to make
good use of the opportunity.
The Financial Support Administrator at STuFSO-UCC, Ms. Grace Mensah, for her part, noted that the initiative was indeed worthy of emulation and could not have come at a
better time as many vulnerable but brilliant students needed financial support.
She said her outfit would continue to support needy but brilliant students in UCC in their academic pursuits through the Students’ Financial Support Office.
One of the beneficiaries, Lydia Tagoe, a Level 300 BSc. Nursing, thanked the sponsors for the gesture.
Present at the event included the Registrar, Mr. Jeff Onyame and the Dean of Students,Prof. Eugene Darteh.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC