Federated Commodities Limited (FEDCO), a licensed Cocoa Buying Company (LBC), and its partners have constructed a six-classroom block for the Bosomtwe Primary School in the Prestea-Huni Valley Municipality of the Western Region.
FEDCO and its partners including Fonds Solidaire Valrhona, Association Coeurs Gourmands, Duty Free News International (DFNI) provided $177,733.17 for the project, which is fully furnished with a library, a computer laboratory, headmaster’s office, a staff common room, a washroom and a mechanised borehole.
Speaking at the handing-over ceremony last Thursday, the Managing Director of FEDCO, Mrs Maria Adamu-Zibo, expressed the company’s desire to promote corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes in the country’s cocoa growing areas.
This, she explained, would empower farmers’ children, enhance productivity in the industry and also grow the economy of the communities.
Mrs Adamu-Zibo indicated that quality education was key to improving lives in cocoa growing areas and also reduce child labour on the farms, stressing that; “we also want to buy cocoa beans from good sources.”
She said, in spite of competition in the cocoa industry, FEDCO was still poised to work hard, and encouraged farmers to form cooperatives in order for them to benefit from the provision of farm inputs.
The Director of Special Duties at COCOBOD, Charles Amenyaglo, mentioned that the Board had entered into an agreement with Fonds Solidaire Valrhona through the Association Coeurs Gourmands and urged all licensed buying companies to join the foundation for the purchase of high bred and quality cocoa beans.
This agreement, he explained would promote a healthy and productive cocoa industry, further improve the welfare of farmers and also education in cocoa areas.
Mr Amenyaglo urged other LBCs to emulate FEDCO’s example by engaging in corporate social responsibility programmes.
The Director of Education, for Prestea-Huni Valley municipality, Ms. Mary Vida Kwofie, was happy that FEDCO and partners had built the classroom block for Bosomtwe Primary and commended them for their exemplary leadership in corporate social responsibility progammes on education.
She explained that the ICT laboratory would promote the teaching and learning of computer studies in the municipality.
The chief of Ndadieso, Nana Kwabena Amoah III, noted FEDCO’s commitment in its assistance in cocoa growing areas, especially the welfare of farmers, saying “God bless your efforts in improving education and bringing development to our communities.”
He believed that the FEDCO-Fonds Solidaire Valrhona partnership would continue to grow for the sake of cocoa growing areas, the country and for humanity.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, NDADIESO
