Newmont Africa has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Otumfuo Osei Tutu II Foundation to implement two key education-focused projects for three years, at a cost of GH¢1,710,000.
The projects will promote and extend information communication technology (ICT) education and training to less-resourced communities through the provision of infrastructure, materials, and associated resources.
Specifically, the projects shall seek to improve the reading culture among pupils in these communities, and also build their interest and capacity in ICT.
Newmont Africa and the Otumfuo Foundation intend to achieve the above objectives through the remodeling and furnishing of six, 50-person capacity containers, to be situated in selected schools.
Mobile training camps equipped with computers shall also be set up in schools to further the training of pupils in ICT. David Thornton, Regional Senior Vice President of Newmont Africa, stated that “Newmont Africa is working to extend the positive social impacts of its business in Ghana beyond its host communities and into other areas where critical educational infrastructure, particularly in ICT, is lacking.
“It is quite clear to us that ICT will play a key role in an increasingly digitized world, and equipping pupils with the requisite skills will help create a more promising future for them and their families.”
Nana Prof. Oheneba Boachie-Adjei Woahene II, the chairman of the Otumfuo Foundation, recounted the support of Newmont Africa to the Foundation over the years.
He said, “For almost a decade, Newmont Africa has been a consistent ally of the Foundation, having provided support in excess of ¢1 million over the period for several of the Foundation’s programmes and projects.
He added that “this MoU is a clear demonstration of the commitment of our two entities towards the identification and implementation of meaningful interventions for communities and individuals who are, otherwise, disadvantaged by virtue of their circumstances.”