Kosmos Energy CRR 2013 1 | Page 29

26 Taking a Long-Term Approach to Social Investment Kosmos’ commitment to Ghana is deep and long-lasting. In 2012, we refined our social investment strategy to reflect our desire to create sustainable benefits for the country. Our projects are carefully designed in collaboration with our key community-level stakeholders to ensure the long-term sustainability of our initiatives in Ghana’s Western Region. In two local communities, women fishmongers have participated with us in the development of improved fish smoking ovens, which enable them to improve the quality of their product and limit spoilage. Kosmos also invested in training these women in basic bookkeeping and business management to sharpen their business acumen. This initiative has helped the women sustain their income year-round, preventing post-harvest losses during the peak fishing season. Kosmos’ partnership with Safe Water Network in a three-phased project to bring clean drinking water to more than 20,000 people in Ghana’s Western Region grew out of the same spirit of collaboration. The first phase of this important project was completed in April 2013 and provides clean drinking water to approximately 6,000 people in the four communities of Beyin, Ngelekaze, Ekebaku, and Atuabo. The main water treatment facility in Beyin, which uses capillary ultrafiltration technology, has the capacity to produce more than 100,000 liters of potable drinking water each day. The recently completed second phase of the project expanded the existing infrastructure by building two overhead tanks, a distribution network with five remote kiosks, and fifteen standpipes in seven additional communities. In addition to making much-needed infrastructure investments, the partnership has begun implementing health and hygiene education programs to improve health outcomes and ensure program sustainability. Further, the water filtration plants belong to the communities, provide work for local villagers, and generate revenue for facility maintenance. This project demonstrates how community participation can l