Iduapriem Mine boosts women’s participation in local content development

AngloGold Ashanti, Iduapriem Mine, continues to touch the lives of its host communities, through social intervention programmes designed by the mining giant as a means of giving employable skills to the indigenes.

One of such social interventionist programmes designed by the mining giant is the Local Empowerment Initiative (LEI), aimed at equipping women with employable skills.

The social intervention programme has helped many individuals in the catchment area acquire employable skills, and one of such beneficiaries of the LEI is Madam Comfort Adjei, is a middle school certificate holder.

Considering her educational background, there was no end in sight for her, but now she can breathe a new life under the AngloGold LEI programme.

Now operating under the business name ‘Add Fort’, Comfort Adjei has become a successful entrepreneur.

She revealed that ‘Add Fort’ was formed in 2012, through the Mine’s Local Empowerment Initiative.

With support from the mine and the Municipal branch of the National Business for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI), a series of workshops was organised for them on business management, which enabled her moot the idea to form the company.

Starting with two employees, she now employs 20, after landing her first cleaning services contract with the mine from 2011-2012.

She continued that from the experience she gained, she now understands contract procedures such as tendering, filling tender application forms and meeting timelines on submission of tender, tender opening, negotiation and award of contract.

Through this, she was able to secure additional contracts.

“Through the contracts I won from Iduapriem Mine, as well as training in financial management, I am able to turn proceeds around, and this has helped me see my two children up to the tertiary level of education.”

She, however, admitted that had it not being for the initiatives rolled by the Mine in women empowerment, she, hitherto, might not have been able to establish her own business.

Comfort hinted that it is an honour to see her young business grow into a company, a phenomenon, she says, is evident because her business has empowered others to take care of their families, by enabling them earn an income.

“Now I can make ends meet, and create employment for the youth in my community, through the initiatives Iduapriem Mine has rolled out.”

As a value of leaving communities with a sustainable future, AngloGold Ashanti ensures that Comfort Adjei and other host community contractors have their skills regularly evaluated and developed, to enable them be more competitive.

“I am appreciative of the contributions of Iduapriem Mine towards women empowerment in our host communities, since more women are now running their own business, which complements the efforts of husbands in their respective homes,” an employee of Madam Comfort remarked.

Considering how Iduapriem Mine has positively impacted on the lives of women in its host communities, Comfort Adjei encouraged other community members, especially females, to take advantage of the opportunities the mine presents.

The AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine’s Local Economic Development Initiative programme seeks to build the capacities of local contractors, to enable them participate in the supply chain process.

It is implemented in collaboration with the National Board for Small Scale Business.