Participants at a recent 2-day workshop emphasized the importance of training traditional authorities on evidence gathering and personal development to address the negative impacts of illegal and irresponsible mining practices in Ghana.
The Nature and Development Foundation (NDF) is inviting experienced consultants to undertake studies on five (5) different topics across the forestry and mining sectors of Ghana. The studies are part of the project ‘Building Active Actors and Systems to Support (BAASS) Deforestation-Free Commodities in Ghana and Liberia’ which is receiving funding from UK Aid through the Forest Governance Markets and Climate (FGMC) Programme
The community outreach initiative has clear objectives: to raise awareness about digital security, develop participants' knowledge, and strengthen their capacity through workshops. It also aims to equip individuals with techniques to identify and respond to potential digital threats and provide continuous support with new tools and ideas.
The Building Resilient and Active Communities in Extractive Landscapes in Ghana (BRACE) project, funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by Arocha Ghana, Nature and Development Foundation, and Wacam. The BRACE project aims to promote responsible mining practices, safeguard the environment, and empower individuals living in mining areas to advocate for their human right to a healthy environment.
"The forest, the land, the river is our life, but mining is destroying it," said a community leader. "We used to farm and harvest food, but now our crops are dying, and our rivers are polluted. We are at risk of hunger and poverty."
At the BRACE Community Durbar in Kunsu, participants emphasized the disparity between the profits of a few individuals and the struggles of the community. They argued that mining has severe environmental and social impacts, but provides little developmental benefit to the community at large.
Residents have reported numerous issues such as skin diseases, polluted water sources, devastated farmlands, and frequent encounters with venomous animals, leading to injuries and child drownings.
The Director of Nature and Development Foundation, Mr. Mustapha Seidu, highlighted the importance of strategically placed trees in cocoa farming, highlighting their role in regulating temperature, reducing soil moisture loss, and promoting sustainable production and increased crop yield in Assin Fosu during his visit to beneficiaries of the "COCOA FOREST MOSAIC FOR PEOPLE AND ECOSYSTEM RESILIENCE project.
Women shea nut collectors from the Gbantala, Kpalwogu, Katua, Wuntibri, and Yizesi communities have received training on the safe collection of shea nut using the shea nut rollers. According to the women, the traditional method of collecting shea nuts with bare hands is characterized by snake bites, scorpion bites, injuries from other sharp objects or sticks, and long bending or squatting, which usually results in waist pain and other health challenges.
In a heartwarming video interview, Alhassan and Bawa, two beneficiaries of a sustainable livelihood intervention of the project, “Living with Wildlife: Improving Livelihoods in the Mole Ecological Landscape” have pledged to abandon hunting practices within the Mole National Park. Their stories serve as a powerful testament to the project's success in uplifting communities from poverty to conserving wildlife.