Empowering women through livelihood development
Mining activities have generally impoverished the affected community people who have lost their livelihood due to the mining activities. Poverty in mining communities has worsened because mining companies have committed large tracts of land belonging to indigenous people to surface mining operations. The situation worsens when these people are deprived of fair, prompt and adequate compensation for properties that are rightfully theirs. Women and children bear the rife of these problems in situations of loss of livelihood.
Wacam under the DKA and CareGhana programmes have supported alternative livelihood skills training and savings scheme to empower people economically for community struggle. Twelve Village, Savings and Loan Associations are currently in operation and offering funds to its group members to support them in their economic activities. Beneficiary communities under the livelihood training and savings scheme are Akatakyieso, Anwiamu, Ayensukrom, Saaman, Juaso, Kenyasi, Ntotroso and Donkro Nkwanta. Beneficiaries in these communities have also undergone skills training in bead making, soap making, and animal rearing. Some of the beneficiaries have formed informal cooperatives and are using these skills to produce soaps, necklaces and sandals as income supporting activities to support their livelihood. In all 220 out of 275 beneficiaries are women Wacam intends to develop other avenues that can help some of these women groups to start-up businesses after undergoing these training.