Newmont embarks on community service

Employees of Newmont Ahafo Mine’s Finance and IT departments embarked on a community service in Kenyasi No. 1 Primary and Junior High School.

Dubbed “Day of Caring,” the event was organized in collaboration with United Way Ghana, a not for profit organization as part of the mining company’s social responsibility commitments. Newmont Ghana supported the day’s activities with about GHc 5,000 and over 320 employee man-hours.

Newmont Ghana employees spent the day; cleaning, scrubbing, painting classrooms and erecting a new sign board to replace the old one which had broken down.

They donated a new set of jerseys and footballs and also engaged in an exhibition match with the school team. The employees, out of their individual contributions, also donated a new table tennis set to the school.

Arvind Mehta, Finance Controller of Newmont Ghana’s AhafoMine in a speech said: “The value of making the lives of others better underpins how Newmont does business in its communities”.

“For us at Newmont, giving, whether it is sharing our time or giving to support good causes, we don’t just view the gesture as a feel-good venture, but our action is informed by the value that underpins the way we do our business: demonstrating leadership in stewardship of the environment and social responsibility,” said Yaw Antwi-Dadzie, External Affairs Manager, Newmont Ghana’s Regional Office in Accra.

The President of United Way Ghana, Dr. Juliette Tuakliwas very happy that after several years of deliberations on the possibility of organizing a Day of Caring event in Ahafo communities, the programme had finally taken place.

Newmont Ghana has been a partner of United Way since its inception in Ghana for the past six years and they have, ever since, participated each year in the Day of Caring Programme through their Regional Office in Accra.

Newmont’s Ahafo Mine, through the Finance and IT departments, took their turn to share love and care in their community.

The company has through United Way’s Day of Caring Programs supported; Kantamanto Street Girls Aid Project (2006), ManyaKrobo Queen Mothers Association (2007&2008), Akropong School for the Blind (2009&2010) and the Accra Psychiatric Hospital (2011); and financed various projects in these areas with about GH¢30,000.

Newmont Ghana was the first company in Ghana to also sign up for United Way’s special and unique Workplace Giving Programme.

Over the past two years about 350 of its employees have through this programme voluntarily contributed about GH¢40,000 which the company has matched cedi for cedi to total about GH¢80,000 and given in support of specific charities chosen by the employees.

Some of the charities supported thus far include Street Girls Aid Project (Kantamanto), ManyaKrobo Queen Mothers Association; Akropong School for the Blind, Compassion is Love in Action (Sunyani), and Big Step Foundation,New Abirem, Eastern Region.