Bamiankor: The Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL) has, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS), commissioned a 20,000-litre community water system valued at GHC230,000 for the people of Bamiankor and surrounding communities in the Nzema-East Municipality of the Western Region. The gesture is aimed at assisting communities in their catchment area to access potable water supply and help alleviate perennial water challenges.
According to Ghana News Agency, during the official commissioning and handing-over ceremony at Bamiankor, Mr. Perry Acheampong, Corporate Affairs Manager at GREL, emphasized that the initiative is part of the company's ongoing commitment to improving the lives of people in the communities where they operate. He highlighted that GREL operates across 93 communities and that their core value of respect for all guides their business philosophy. For GREL, CRS is a responsibility ensuring fairness, inclusion, and mutual growth in the communities that support their operations.
Mr. Acheampong further stated that GREL's success as a business entity is closely linked to the well-being of their host communities, who must live in dignity and meet their basic needs. He described the water project as a symbol of the shared journey between GREL and Bamiankor, where the prosperity of the company aligns with the community's well-being. He expressed gratitude to the people of Bamiankor for their cooperation and trust, urging them to maintain and use the project responsibly.
Awulae Angama-Tu Agyan, Paramount Chief of the Gwira Traditional Area, expressed appreciation to GREL for the project, noting that it would alleviate the burden of accessing water for the community. He also commended GREL for other development projects in the area and appealed for the company to consider providing internships and national service opportunities for school leavers to acquire employable skills.
Nana Kwesi Agyemang IX, Paramount Chief of the Lower Dixcove Traditional Area and Chairman of the Association of Chiefs on Whose Land GREL Operates (ACLANGO), urged the community to put aside differences and embrace projects undertaken by GREL. He noted the importance of clean water for health and asked the community to care for the water facility. He also appealed to out-grower rubber plantation farmers to supply their products exclusively to GREL to enhance the company's productivity and suggested that GREL increase the producer price of rubber to attract more supply from smallholder farmers.
