The Community Partnerships for Citizens Action and Development (COPCAD), a non-government organisation (NGO) is to implement a project to provide alternative source of livelihoods for those involved in illegal mining in the Mpohor-Fiase District of the Western Region.
The project dubbed: Sustainable Communities Against Illegal Mining (SCAIM) with funding support from the KGL Foundation, would focus on rabbit farming as a sustainable, eco-friendly, and inclusive alternative livelihood for such illegal miners and those in the value chain.
It would also promote community-based monitoring and advocacy systems to discourage destructive mining practices and protect natural resources.
Mr Alfred Aggrey, a Project Officer at COPCAD, during an inception meeting to introduce the SCAIM project to stakeholders at Mpohor, said the initiative was part of the NGO’s strategic interventions to combat the devastating effects of illegal mining in the Mpohor-Fiase District.
He said it would target the youth, particularly those in galamsey-affected communities, young girls and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), and women among other vulnerable groups.
He said: “We are targeting these groups because they are particularly vulnerable to the socio-economic and health impacts of illegal mining, so they are central to the project’s empowerment approach.”
Mr Aggrey stated that the project would begin with a piloting phase where selected individuals from five communities in the district would be provided with the rabbits and other necessary materials to access the project’s broader impacts before full roll-out.
He said as part of the project, the beneficiaries would be assigned veterinary officers and facilitate access to ready market for their rabbits upon maturity.
“This project is not just about farming, it is about empowerment, environmental justice, and community-led change, so our aim is to help educate, support, and uplift vulnerable groups.
“Together, we can build resilient communities that can thrive without depending on illegal mining activities,” the Project Officer noted.
Mr Aggrey, thus, called for the buy-in of all stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the project.
Mr Francis Biney, a farmer and participant, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the side-lines commended COPCAD for the intervention and said it had come at the right time.
He said when successfully implemented, the SCAIM project would help reduce the dependence on illegal mining for survival among the youth in the district, while protecting water bodies and arable lands from further destruction.
“In my opinion, this will be a great initiative because our water bodies and lands for farming activities are being destroyed by galamsey, so I think we must all support and make this project a success,” he added.
