Tarkwa (W/R), Oct. 29, GNA - Goldfields Ghana Limited, (Tarkwa Mine) has earmarked on a 1.3- million-dollar developmental projects for eight communities within its operational area for the 2005/2006 financial year.

It has also spelt out a five-year development programme, known as "Sustainable Community Empowerment And Economic Development Programme" (SEED) for the communities.

Mr Steve Yirenkyi, Head of Public Relations and Community Affairs said this at a consultative meeting on Tuesday. He stated that 1,325 people would benefit from the SEED programme, which focuses on economic growth, wealth creation and quality of life improvement among others.

Mr Yirenkyi said the company would gradually shift from infrastructure provision to alternative livelihood programme and for that, it has sought the assistance of Opportunity Industrialization Centres International (OICI) in the implementation of the programme. He continued that a collaborative approach to development would be adopted with the active involvement of the communities, the District Assembly, donors, Non Governmental Organizations, the media and the government.

Mr Yerenkyi named the components of SEED as sustaining agriculture/animal production, processing, value addition and marketing of produce, health and nutrition, water and sanitation, education and livelihood skills, monitoring, evaluation and reporting in addition to others.

He said the eight communities, which would benefit from the programmes include Samahu, Abekoase, Tebe, Pepesa, Huniso, New Atuabo, Akoon and Brahabobom adding that, each community would get the project it requested for and nothing would be imposed on them. Mr Yirenkyi named some of the projects as oil palm cultivation and its processing, livestock, vegetable cultivation, cassava processing, rehabilitation of roads and wells, building of teachers quarters and early childhood development centres (ECDCs), adding each community would also benefit from scholarship packages for JSS, SSS and vocational schools.

The District Chief Executive of the Wassa West District Mr Emmanuel Kwesi Ayensu expressed gratitude to the company's laudable projects for the communities and expressed the Assembly's support for the company. He however, appealed to them not to focus all their attention on the small communities but should extend its support to Tarkwa as well, because the town also falls within the company's operational area. Mr Ayensu urged the company to help rehabilitate the main roads in Tarkwa to give the town a facelift and help the Assembly also to construct a sports stadium for the town.

Nana Moloba Nyameke, Chief of Abekoase, who spoke on behalf of the chiefs, thanked the company for their continual support to the communities. He pledged that the communities would also give them the necessary assistance to ensure the development of their communities.