The Newmont Ahafo Develop­ment Foundation (NADeF) has invested GH¢ 5,961,124.07 in educational infrastructure for the Gyedu Technical Institute in the Ahafo Region.The projects include phase one of a three-storey 18-unit class­room block with ancillary facilities, a three-unit skills workshop and a three-storey hostel.NADef, which is the corporate social responsibility arm of New­mont Ahafo Mines also equipped the Institute's skills lab with mod­ern teaching and learning materials and acquired 23.56 acres of land to support the school's expansion.Executive Secretary of NADeF, Mrs Elizabeth Opoku-Darko, an­nounced this on Friday during the presentation of vocational training equipment to the school.The items include 20 two-burn­er gas stoves, 15 gas cylinders, a gas oven with two bag flour capacity, a side door fridge, deep freezer, embroidery machines and a locally manufactured block making machine.She explained that the equip­ment was funded through part of the 50,000 dollars grant from the World Gold Council, armed at providing students with employ­able skills.Mr Joseph Danso, Director of Social Performance at Newmont Africa, said the support had trans­formed Gyedu Technical Insti­tute into a technical school and expressed the hope that continued project implementation would attract more sponsorship.According to him NADef since 2017 had funded the education of about 14,000 students through the Foundation's scholarship for people in its 10 host communities in the Ahafo Region.Mr Danso urged the tutors of the school to instil entrepreneurial skills in the students to enable them to start their own businesses after graduation.The Head of Gyedu Royal family, Nana Yaw Fosu-Gyeabour, thanked NADef for its contin­ued support noting that despite the school's establishment by the traditional council in 1986 and its current enrolment of 867, it has received little support from successive governments.He said the intervention would help discourage the youth in the area from engaging in illegal mining.The Principal of Gyedu Techni­cal Institute, Martin Kpiebakyene, said he was grateful for the attention the school was receiving from the Nananom and NADef adding that it would go a long way to equip the youth of Gyedu and the entire country for future employment.FROM DANIEL DZRISAH,SUNYANI