Story by Yaaba Yamikeh, Tarkwa
The Gold Fields Ghana Foundation has awarded scholarships to 150 brilliant but needy students from its host communities pursuing various programmes at tertiary institutions across the country.
Each beneficiary received GH¢10,500 for the 2026 academic year, comprising GH¢9,500 for tuition and hostel fees and GH¢1,000 as a stipend.
The beneficiaries were presented with certificates at the Foundation’s 2026 Scholarship Awards Ceremony held in Tarkwa on Thursday, September 10, 2026. The ceremony was chaired by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Professor Bernard Kumi Boateng.
Special awards were also presented to some beneficiaries in recognition of their outstanding academic performance.
Vacation classes
Speaking at the ceremony, the Vice-President (Community), Gold Fields Ghana Limited, Dr Celestina Allotey, said the Foundation would introduce a series of vacation classes dubbed “Lecture Hall to Workplace” to equip beneficiaries with practical skills and prepare them for the world of work.
She said 86 of the 150 beneficiaries were females, describing the figure as “encouraging and a demonstration of the growing participation and success of young women in higher education.”
Dr Allotey disclosed that 50 of the beneficiaries were products of remote basic schools in the host communities, including schools at Awudua, Brahabobom, Huniso, Pepesa, Samahu, New Atuabo and Tebe, where the Foundation had constructed classroom blocks.
She said the latest beneficiaries brought to 3,092 the number of young people from the Foundation’s host communities who had benefited from its scholarship programme since its inception in 2005.
Past beneficiaries
According to her, many past beneficiaries had gone on to become doctors, engineers, lawyers, teachers, entrepreneurs and professionals in various fields.
She cited Professor Ishmael Quaicoe of UMaT and Dr Grace Nyarko, an optometrist at Agogo Presbyterian Hospital, among notable beneficiaries.
“This is a source of great pride for Gold Fields, as it shows the impact that investment in education at the community level can have on the lives of the youth,” she said.
Dr Allotey said the achievements of past beneficiaries should remind parents and Ghanaians of the difference an opportunity to pursue higher education could make in the life of a young person.
She expressed confidence that the 150 beneficiaries would make good use of the opportunity and, in turn, contribute meaningfully to the development of their communities and the country.
Dr Allotey said education remained a key pillar of the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation’s contribution to the sustainable development of its host communities, stressing that education and development were inseparable.
She noted that, beyond the scholarship programme, the Foundation had supported education through the construction of classroom blocks and provision of furniture, potable water, Smart Lab innovation centres and more than 40,000 learning materials to schools in its host communities.
The Foundation had also introduced the Vacation Initiative in Basic Education (VIBE) programme to provide additional learning opportunities for pupils during long vacations.
Dr Allotey said the Foundation was also supporting initiatives aimed at encouraging young people to explore career opportunities beyond traditional professions.
She cited the Ada Lovelace Day celebration, which seeks to encourage young people, particularly girls, to develop an interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and learn about career opportunities in those fields.
She further said the Foundation would continue to support the Ghana Education Service (GES) in carrying out its supervisory and monitoring responsibilities in schools within the host communities.
As part of this year’s support, she disclosed that the Foundation planned to provide vehicles to the GES offices in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem and Prestea-Huni-Valley municipalities.
Academic progress
The Sustainability Development Manager, Community Relations, Mr Robert Siaw, reminded the beneficiaries that receiving a scholarship was not the end of their journey but the beginning of a greater responsibility.
He said the Foundation would track their academic progress and urged them to work hard, maintain good academic performance and conduct themselves in ways that would protect the Gold Fields brand while making their families and communities proud.
Representatives of the University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Mines and Technology, Takoradi Technical University and other tertiary institutions at the ceremony also advised the beneficiaries to take their studies seriously and make the most of the opportunity.
