Awudua (w/r) July 7, GNA - SANDVIK Mining and Construction, a mining sector service company, on Monday inaugurated a 63,000 dollar, three-unit classroom block with office and furnishing for Awudua Junior High School.

The project, which was fully funded through the contribution of Sandvik, a key partner of Gold Fields Ghana was in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Sandvik Mining and Construction Ghana Limited. This was the second of Sandvik's contribution to Gold Fields' community development programme. The first was the construction of a Teachers Quarters at Abekoase for Abekoase and Tebe Early Childhood Development Centre. The first cost of $18,000.00. Dr. Toni Aubynn Head, Corporate Affairs and Social Development, Gold Fields Ghana Limited (GFGL), said the project was one of Gold Fields Ghana Foundation Funded projects outside its originally demarcated Primary Stakeholder Communities. He said Awudua was chosen because it is the seat of the Apinto stool and his company was with the conviction that this facility would help improve education in the area.

Dr Aubynn said the event was about intra-industry partnership which could yield enhanced benefit to the communities. He said Gold Fields Ghana would continue to invest a lot of resources to help improve on education in both the Prestea-Huni Valley District and the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Assembly, adding, "The Company will soon commission a multi million dollar office complex for the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal Education Service at Tarkwa". Mr David Phillip Gardner, Managing Director, SANVIK Mining and Construction said his company had been sponsoring 30 students through the Western Regional Apprenticeship programme at a cost of US$274,000 since 1999.

He said "This four year programme is geared towards equipping students within our catchments areas with the necessary employable skills so that they can gain employment easily within the mining industry in Ghana and beyond".

Mr Gardner said his company was committed to spending additional US$144,000 on the programme this year.

He said his company believed that the project would contribute significantly to improving the availability of skilled manpower, not only in the Prestea-Huni Valley District but in Ghana as a whole. Mr Gardner encouraged the Awudua community to make optimum use of this facility.

He said SANDVIK Mining and Construction would continue to contribute to the community development efforts of Gold Fields Ghana Limited in order to ensure that the communities in which the company operated derived optimum benefits from the presence of the mining company.

Mr Emmanuel Kwasi Ayensu, Prestea-Huni Valley District Chief Executive said the District Assembly's collaboration with sub-contracting mining firms and mining companies have helped in accelerating development in the area and call on other companies to emulate the example of SANDVIK. He told parents to send their children to school because it was the only means through which they could acquire the requisite skills for employment.

Mr Ayensu said it was not sound for parents to leave their wards to decide whether or not to go to school, because they were not matured to decide for themselves.

He pleaded with the school authorities to maintain the school block in order to extend its life span. Nana Kwabena Angu II, Chief of Apinto Divisional Area, who chaired the function, said in the heat of litigations, development projects were relegated to the background and the inauguration of the school block signifies the end of litigation at Awudua. Nana Angu pleaded with the mining companies to employ citizens from the area.

He said the town has plans to construct Information Technology (IT) Centre and so pleaded with mining companies and other sub-constructing mining firms to help in its construction.