United Mining Alliance (UMA), a key mining contractor working with Newmont Ahafo South operations, has in the last five years supported ten tertiary students and 47 apprentices to the tune of Gh.c 504,513.56 in partnership with Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF).
The ten tertiary students who have so far benefited pursued or are pursuing courses in science and engineering at various universities across the country. The apprentices, on the other hand, are mainly into hairdressing, dressmaking, electrical installation as well as welding and fabrication.
At the 5th edition of NADeF/UMA Community Excellence Awards held at Ntotroso in the Asutifi North District of the Ahafo Region, 12 beneficiaries including two students and ten apprentices were presented with their scholarship packages to facilitate their training.
The NADeF/UMA Community Excellence Awards programme was deliberately designed to support brilliant but needy youth from Newmont’s host communities who have demonstrated academic excellence, discipline and determination but face financial constraints.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Peter Osei Mensah, the Alternative Project Manager of UMA, said his organization was proud of the success journey of beneficiaries of the partnership since its inception in August 2021.
He said UMA had undertaken other impactful projects over the years across Newmont’s host communities.
These include the construction of classroom blocks, mechanized boreholes as well as the donation of medical equipment to CHPS Compounds, donation of food items, beds and toiletries to the Compassion is Love Orphanage, sponsorship of medical screening at Gyedu, among others.
Last year, for instance, UMA, handed over a kindergarten block valued at Gh¢1,016,264 to St. Lawrence R/C Basic School at Ntotroso in the Ahafo Region.
The new school block has two classrooms, two offices, washrooms, and a mechanized borehole. It replaces an old, dilapidated structure, thereby providing a fitting and conducive learning environment for the pupils.
“At UMA, it is not just about mining and making profit but building sustainable and robust economy in the areas we operate”, Mr. Osei Mensah stated.
He encouraged the students and apprentices to make the best of the opportunity by learning harder and staying focus on their goals and eventually give back to their communities.
The Board Chairman of NADeF, Professor Yaw Ofosu-Kusi, for his part, commended UMA for its pledge to sustain the scholarship annually for as long as the company continues to operate in Ahafo, describing the move as a demonstration of true corporate citizenship and a genuine commitment to community development.
“The NADeF/UMA Community Excellence Awards are a shining example of how strategic partnerships can accelerate development. This initiative is not just about financial support; it is about hope, opportunity and long-term capacity building within the Ahafo Region”, he said.
He reaffirmed the NADeF’s commitment to transforming mining benefits into sustainable development for host communities, with education remaining at the centre of its intervention, noting that since its establishment, the Foundation has made significant investments in infrastructure, health, livelihoods and education, stressing that scholarship and skills development programs continue to be a core pillar of the Foundation’s work.
