Gold Fields Ghana Limited, through the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, has given a major boost to the Tarkwa Local Prison’s oil palm plantation with an investment of GH¢144,666 to expand it from 30 acres to 60 acres.
The Agro-Support and Empowerment (PASE) Project at the Tarkwa Local Prison is aimed at enhancing food security, promoting sustainable agriculture, and equipping inmates with practical vocational skills for successful reintegration into society.
The Tarkwa Local Prison, which has a daily feeding allocation of only GH¢5 per inmate for a population of more than 340 inmates, has identified the need to expand agricultural production to supplement its food requirements.
Speaking during the presentation of farm inputs for the cultivation of the additional 20-acre oil palm plantation, the Commander of the Tarkwa Local Prison, Chief Superintendent Bright Gbogbo, commended the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation for its significant investment in inmate rehabilitation.
He said the gesture aligns with the Ghana Prisons Service’s new strategic reform agenda under the Director-General, which is built on five pillars: staff and inmate welfare, agricultural mechanisation, industrialisation, business and wealth creation, and strategic partnerships.
According to him, the PASE Project directly contributes to the achievement of at least three of these pillars: agricultural mechanisation, industrialisation, and business and wealth creation.
Chief Superintendent Gbogbo described the partnership between the Ghana Prisons Service and the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation as one that would endure for many years and appealed for continued support.
He stressed that agriculture remains one of the most effective tools for vocational training, self-reliance, and productive engagement.
“Through the oil palm project, inmates will acquire practical farming skills that will enhance their opportunities for meaningful employment and entrepreneurship after their release. The support of the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation demonstrates its commitment to sustainable community development and giving individuals a second chance to become productive members of society,” he said.
He assured the Foundation that the donated farm inputs would be used effectively and judiciously to establish and maintain the plantation, and expressed gratitude to the management of Gold Fields Ghana Limited for the support.
The Executive Secretary of the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, Abdel-Razak Yakubu, expressed excitement about the partnership with the Ghana Prisons Service, particularly the Tarkwa Local Prison.
He noted that the prison system is fundamentally an institution for reform and that correctional officers perform a vital public service.
Mr Yakubu said the PASE Programme is designed to empower inmates with practical agricultural skills so they can rebuild their lives after serving their sentences.
“We want this initiative to become a transformative tool that equips inmates with valuable agronomic skills and helps them become productive members of society after their release,” he said.
He also expressed appreciation to the management and employees of Gold Fields Ghana Limited for generating the resources that make such community interventions possible.
Through the Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, the company has invested more than US$7.48 million in enterprise development initiatives across its host communities. These include the Community Oil Palm Project (COPP), the Cocoa Farmers Support Programme (CoFaS), and the Youth in Organic Horticulture Production (YouHoP), among other livelihood support programmes.
By: Kwame Malcolm/Takoradi/newsalertgh.com
