The Resource Foundation,Non governmental organisation (NGO) in collaboration with the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), has held a stakeholders’ dialogue in the Juaboso District of the Western North Region to discuss the ongoing fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
The dialogue formed part of a broader project implemented by the Resource Foundation and CFLI to assess the effects of illegal mining on local communities. The initiative covers the Aowin Municipality, Juaboso, Suaman, and Akontombra Districts.
Speaking in an interview with Managing Director of the Resource Foundation, Mr. Elliott Mensah, said illegal mining has significantly affected the livelihoods of people in these areas. He noted that the activity has led to economic hardships, environmental degradation, high inflation, and rising social vices.
According to him, some of the key causes of illegal mining include unemployment, limited education on its long-term impact, and poor enforcement of laws. Mr. Mensah added that participants at the dialogue made valuable suggestions to help reduce galamsey activities.
“They emphasized the need for government to create more job opportunities for the youth and to establish state farms in every district to encourage young people to venture into agriculture rather than illegal mining,” he stated.
Some farmers and stakeholders who attended the event also shared the devastating effects of illegal mining in their communities. They lamented that young people continue to lose their lives in abandoned mining pits, while water bodies have become polluted, forcing farmers to transport clean water from their homes to their farms.
The participants further noted that the fight against galamsey will only succeed if chiefs and opinion leaders commit to the cause by refusing to sell land to illegal miners. They also appealed to the government to support the youth with flagship employment programmes to reduce their dependence on galamsey for survival.
The Chief of Abrokofe, Nana Kwabena Yeboah, who chaired the dialogue, praised the Resource Foundation for its educational campaign on illegal mining. He said the sensitization exercises in his community have led to visible positive changes, especially among school children.
“Some students used to abandon school to engage in galamsey, but through education and community action, we have implemented measures to prevent that. The future of our children is at risk if we don’t stop galamsey,” he warned.
Nana Yeboah further stated that while galamsey cannot be eradicated overnight, it can be effectively controlled if alternative jobs are created. He proposed that the government, through district assemblies, introduce regulated community mining schemes to create employment while ensuring sustainable mining practices.
