First Lady of Ghana, Mrs. Rebecca Naa Okaiko Akufo-Addo has described Gold Fields Ghana Ltd as a pacesetter in high-impact projects and sustainable development of host communities stating that the company had effected positive change in the lives of residents of communities in which it operates through its corporate social responsibility activities.

Mrs. Akufo-Addo made the statement when she joined senior officials of Goldfields West Africa, government officials and traditional elders of Prestea Huni Valley and Tarkwa Nsuem in the Western Region to commission the new Huni Valley Health Centre.

The centre which serves the people in the Prestea –Huni Valley and Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipalities was renovated and refurbished with modern medical equipment by Gold Fields Ghana Foundation as part of its corporate social responsibility activities.

In a brief speech to commission, the project Mrs. Akufo-Addo commended Gold Fields on the many completed and on-going projects it has undertaken in its host communities including the construction of the New Atuabo Clinic and nurses’ quarters, the maternity block and nurses’ quarters at the Tarkwa Government Hospital as well as Gold Fields Ghana Foundation’s investment in education, water and sanitation as well as livelihood enhancement programmes in the host communities.

She expressed her particular delight at Gold Fields decision to turn their corporate social responsibility activity on the health of the people especially women and children stating that as a committed and passionate champion for the health of Ghanaians especially women and children, she is happy to be associated with any project that seeks to ensure a healthy population.

She said The Rebecca Foundation of which she is chair was established in 2017 to support government’s efforts to improve health care for women and children, literacy among children, as well as economic empowerment for women and has over the period established strategic partnerships with the private sector, governmental agencies and development partners, to help address these critical issues.

The Foundation, she said, has impacted so many lives across the country through projects, such as the construction of the Mother and Baby Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital and many others.

Mrs Akufo-Addo said she was optimistic that as the corporate social responsibility focus of Gold Fields aligned with that of the Rebecca Foundation, there was an opportunity for a partnership between the two bodies to address key issues on health, education and economic empowerment for women in the two municipalities of Prestea Huni-Valley and Tarkwa-Nsuaem.

She urged other corporate bodies to emulate the example of Gold Fields Ghana by identifying some needs of their host communities and pooling resources to assist in their provision stating “national development does not rest with the government alone. We must all play our part towards a healthy and prosperous nation”.

The First Lady also took some time to visit the Damang market centre where she interacted with traders on several social and economic issues of common interest.