General Manager of the Ahafo South mine, Joseph Danso
Ntotroso is a town clad in rich culture, tradition, and history. The town which has a heritage from the Ashanti kingdom, also boasts of land rich in agriculture and natural resources.
Recently the chiefs and people of Ntotroso celebrated their biennial Apomasu
Festival, which draws people from all over the world due to its rich cultural heritage and spectacular beauty.
The Apomasu festival is celebrated in honor of the Apomasu deity whom the
people of Ntotroso believe resides in the key to the community’s well-being. According to accounts, it was due to Apomasu’s presence that gold deposits were discovered in the area.
Newmont takes pride in celebrating the Apomasu festival with the people of
Ntotroso, one of its host communities aligns with its integrity value which enjoins them to respect the culture and traditions of the communities where they operate.
The Apomasu festival has been funded in part by the cultural heritage component of the Newmont’s flagship Social Responsibility Initiative – Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF).
Speaking on behalf of the General Manager of the Ahafo South mine, the Senior
Regional Social Performance Manager of Newmont, Joseph Danso said, that over the
years, Newmont has partnered with the celebration of the Apomasu festival, which has served as a rallying point for development; thanks to the foresight of the paramount chief of Ntotroso, Barima Twereku Ampem III. He said that the idea for the establishment of the College of Nursing and Midwifery, and the Senior High Schools at Ntotroso was conceived at one of such festivals celebrated in 2012 and 2022 respectively.
“At Newmont, we recognize the profound importance of preserving and nurturing
our cultural heritage. We understand that our operations are not just about
extracting resources from the earth; they are about building sustainable partnerships and fostering mutual respect and understanding.” Joseph Danso stated.
Since Newmont commenced full operations in Ahafo in 2006, the business has
continuously embarked on various interventions to ensure sustainable development
and the re-establishment of livelihoods for its ten host communities. One such
intervention is the Newmont Ahafo Development Foundation (NADeF).
NADeF was established in May 2008 following two years of extensive but fruitful
engagement with Nananom and the Ahafo Social Responsibility Forum (ASRF), as a
mechanism to manage its sustainable community development commitment to its
ten host communities, of which Ntotroso is an important part.
Newmont Ghana contributes US$1 per ounce of gold sold and 1 percent of its net
profit to the foundation annually. The fund has accrued over 178.9 million Ghana
Cedis; out of which we have completed and handed over about 190 infrastructural
projects to the communities, in addition to other non-infrastructural projects and educational benefits to our people in Ahafo.
These projects include Ntotroso College of Nursing, Police Training School in Kenyasi No. 1 College of Health – Yamfo, Twereko Ampem Senior High School at Ntotroso, health centers, ICT Centers, dormitories, palaces, school blocks, administration blocks, water projects, social centers, among others.
Additionally, nearly 12,800 educational scholarships have been awarded to students at the Senior High and tertiary levels and in apprenticeship training. The Foundation also runs a micro finance scheme to support small and medium-scale enterprises within the communities. So far, over 100 million Ghana cedis have been spent on projects.
There is also an endowment fund invested to sustain the activities of NADeF after the life of the mine.
In conformity with the demands of modernity, the festival, which essentially is a religious festival has also assumed a development-oriented dimension with a range of social activities spanning one month.
