Gold Fields Foundation Worried Over Poor Maintenance Of Community Investments.
The Executive Secretary of the Gold Fields Foundation, Mr. Abdel Razak, has expressed concern over the poor maintenance of some community investments and facilities provided by Gold Fields to its host communities.
According to him, it is painful for the Foundation to see projects and items donated to support communities deteriorate because they are not properly maintained.
Mr. Abdel Razak made the remarks when Gold Fields, through its Foundation, donated two Toyota Hilux pickup vehicles and nine motorbikes to institutions in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem and Prestea Huni Valley Municipalities.
The two pickup vehicles, valued at approximately GH¢1.54 million, were presented to the Tarkwa-Nsuaem and Prestea Huni Valley Education Directorates to support their monitoring and supervisory activities.
Mr. Abdel Razak, however, appealed to all beneficiary institutions to properly maintain the vehicles and other assets provided by Gold Fields to ensure that they serve their intended purposes for many years.
He expressed concern that some ambulances previously donated to health facilities had completely broken down a few years after they were handed over.
He described the situation as unfortunate, stressing that it was painful for the Foundation to see investments made to improve lives in host communities deteriorate due to poor maintenance.
He therefore urged beneficiary institutions to strictly follow maintenance schedules, service the vehicles regularly and purchase the appropriate spare parts when necessary.
Mr. Abdel Razak explained that the Foundation has been working closely with the Ghana Education Service, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), and the Sanitation Departments of the two municipal assemblies over the years.
According to him, the Ghana Education Service, for instance, informed the Foundation that it lacked adequate vehicles to transport educational materials, examination papers and other essential items to schools.
Mr. Abdel Razak said the nine motorbikes were also donated to the Cocoa Health Extension Division of MoFA and MoFA to enable extension officers to reach farmers in remote communities where Gold Fields operates.
The Western Regional Director of Education, Mr. Emmanuel Essuman, who also acts as the Prestea Huni Valley Municipal Education Director, who recieved the pickups disclosed that poor road networks and broken-down vehicles and motorbikes are hampering effective monitoring and supervision of schools in deprived communities within the municipality.
According to him, education officials regularly travel to remote communities to monitor teaching and learning, supervise examinations, and transport teachers and educational materials to schools.
He said the poor road network, coupled with the deteriorating condition of vehicles and motorbikes available to the Education Directorate, has made these activities increasingly difficult.
Mr. Essuman expressed appreciation to the Gold Fields Foundation for the donation, describing the vehicle as timely and critical to the Directorate’s operations.
He said the new pickup would enable education officials to intensify monitoring and supervision of teaching and learning, attend workshops, and transport educational materials to schools, particularly those in deprived communities.
Story by Nana Fynn@W/R.
