The Concerned Farmers Association of Ghana (CFA) has embarked on identification of challenges in illegal mining areas, popularly known in local parlance as galamsey, with the quest to convince the illegal miners and provide them with an alternative livelihood.
Speaking with The Chronicle shortly after a consultative meeting with the miners at Kwabeng in the Atiwa West District of the Eastern Region on Saturday, the president of the Association, Nana Oboadie Bonsu, said he was overwhelmed with the reception accorded him and his team.
According to the president of the Concerned Farmers Association, “even though I know this is a good move for the illegal miners, particularly when they are out of work because of the President’s directives, I thought they would not receive us”.
He continued that the readiness and commitment to have an alternative livelihood is positive news for the fight against illegal mining in the country.
Touching on the substance of the initiative, Nana Bonsu averred that, shortly after President Nana Akufo Addo directives to wage war against illegal mining in the country, he decided to embark on the campaign to see how best these affected individuals would live a meaningful life.
To this, “we are targeting 10, 000 youth in the galamsey affected areas and give them alternative livelihood such as planting for food and jobs, rearing for food and jobs and afforestation among others.
He disclosed that his outfit is not a profit making body, but has the holistic development of these farmers and individuals affected by the president’s directives, hence calling on the government to immediately assist him to properly replace these people.
In a random interview, the affected illegal miners demonstrated their readiness to stop the negative activity and venture into the alternative livelihood for their future.
They admitted that, though illegal mining had given them good money, which could relatively be better than any of the alternative livelihood prescribed above, the negative effect of the activity is detrimental to their generation.
They have also called on the government to support the association to ensure that they would in no time start doing something on their own.
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