Abosso Goldfields Limited (AGL) has marked World Water Day with students from the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, and Huni-Valley Senior High School (HUNIVASS) in the Western Region.
The students, together with members of Water and Sanitation (WATSAN) committees, toured the Damang Mine and learned about its operations as part of the celebration.
This year’s event was held on the theme, “Water and Gender.”
Speaking at the event at Townsite in Damang, Mr. Sampson Arthur, Operations Manager of AGL, said the theme called for attention beyond infrastructure and compliance to how women and girls access, manage, and sustain water resources.
He noted that women were not merely participants in water matters but decision-makers, custodians, and, in many cases, the backbone of households and communities.
He explained that sustainable water management went beyond technical functions, involving governance, social responsibility, and leadership. Inclusive water governance, he stressed, was a risk management strategy that strengthened decision-making, improved compliance culture, and enhanced long-term sustainability outcomes.
Mr. Arthur added that with women’s involvement, systems become more accountable, communities more resilient, and solutions more effective. He said the presence of WATSAN committees highlighted that sustainable water management extended beyond company operations to community practices, local leadership, and shared responsibility.
He assured that the company would continue to invest in sustainable water practices, maintain transparency with stakeholders, and create opportunities for women and girls to take leadership roles, noting that water security required collective effort.
Madam Irene Aboagye-Akari, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Manager of AGL, stated that safe water management was essential to protecting people and ecosystems and preventing future hazards. She emphasized the importance of mentorship, noting that systems were only as strong as the people behind them.
She described the engagement as an investment in awareness, capacity building, and leadership, adding that bringing women from host communities onto the mine site encouraged learning, dialogue, and accountability.
She urged female staff to embrace mentorship roles, noting that sharing experiences, both successes and challenges, could shape others’ careers.
Addressing students from UMaT and HUNIVASS, she encouraged them to pursue opportunities in engineering, environmental management, safety, water governance, and leadership.
“Do not wait until you feel ready. Step forward, ask questions, seek mentors, and take opportunities even when they seem daunting. Careers are built not only on confidence but on courage,” she advised.
She added that mentorship could shorten learning curves, help avoid mistakes, and open new opportunities.
Madam Constance Aning, Ankobra Basin Officer of the Water Resources Commission, cautioned against the misuse of water resources, noting that easy access often led to wastage. She urged Ghanaians to conserve water, emphasizing that wasting it deprived others of access.
