Ghacem Cement Foundation has since its inception given 675,000 bags of cement valued at GH¢52million to deprived communities across the country.
The foundation was established by Ghacem Ltd. in 2002 as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), to assist deprived communities improve their health and educational infrastructure.
The cement donation by the foremost cement manufacturer is done annually to hand over allocated bags to institutions across the country – grouped into Southern (Central, Western, Western North, Volta, Oti, Eastern and Greater Accra Regions) and Northern (Northern, North East, Savannah, Upper East, Upper West, Bono East, Bono, Ahafo and Ashanti Regions) sectors – as a support package for institutions which are currently undertaking various infrastructural projects.
Southern Sector donation
This year’s Southern Sector donation ceremony was held in Takoradi at the Best Western Atlantic Hotel on 11th August 2023. A total of 9,470 bags were donated to selected health and educational institutions captured under the Southern Sector.
The Northern Sector – which consists of the Northern, North East, Savannah, Upper East, Upper West, Brong East, Brong, Ahafo and Ashanti Regions – will also receive a total 7,980 bags of free cement slated for 24th August this month.
Ehunabobrim Prah Agyensaim VI – Chairman of the foundation who gave the above report, was confident that these donations to schools and hospitals will improve their various projects to spur development in the country.
He informed that the foundation now aims to assist special projects in need of special attention; as such, a total of 3,000 bags will be donated to assist a special project – ‘the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital Children’s Cancer Unit Building Project’. “The Council will continue to assist the project until its completion,” he assured.
Ehunabobrim Prah Agyensaim VI urged beneficiaries to use the cement for its intended purpose, informing that the foundation will carry out a post-donation visit to check and also encourage beneficiaries to re-apply if the need be in order for them to finish their projects.
He therefore implored beneficiaries, past and present, to use the Ghacem cement products always as they also contribute to the Ghacem Cement Foundation’s success.
Addressing representatives of beneficiary institutions, Mr. Eric Appiah Odoom – Works Manager-Takoradi who represented the Managing Director-Ghacem Mr. Stefano Gallini – said the company is proud of giving back to communities through the Ghacem Cement Foundation for more than two decades.
He said the company, while consuming natural resources during the production of cement, is concerned about sustainable development; and as such has produced different cement products in its long-term vision of having sustainable cement production.
“In doing all this we are also mindful about our environment, hence our conscious effort to ensure the reduction of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in both our Tema and Takoradi plants during production. We have a goal that we need to meet in 2030; so while others are just taking the clinker adding 90% and not doing any innovation to it, we are finding alternative means of doing it – grinding it very fine.”
In her address, Prof. Audrey Gadzekpo – a Council member for the Foundation, said the GCF Council members work tirelessly through the numerous applications to select beneficiaries; all in a bid to ensure health and educational infrastructure in the country is improved to augment government’s efforts. She therefore urged beneficiaries to use the cement for its intended purpose and continue to patronise Ghacem cement to sustain the company, and in the long run the Foundation.
Some of the representatives of beneficiary Institutions who spoke to the media commended Ghacem for sustaining GCF over the years, reiterating that depending on government alone for education and health infrastructure will delay development; hence, corporate entities such as Ghacem ought to be emulated.
