Residents of two communities resettled in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region by the Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited to pave way for large scale ecological mining activities are appealing for alternative livelihoods. They say the support will help reduce their vulnerability and mitigate the impact of the resettlement.
Moving from their former communities has contributed to the loss of their sources of income as most of them depended on illegal mining and selling of shea butter for their livelihood.
They made the appeal when some staff of the Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited visited the communities to engage them on their experiences in their new communities.
The two communities, Digaare (Accra site) and Biung, originally occupied the lands leased by government to the Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited, a subsidiary of Shandong Gold, Chinese Mining Firm, to engage in large scale surface mining for a period of 15 years.
The greenfield project is expected to generate 150 million tonnes of ore which translates into five million ounces of gold within 15 years.
Currently, the Company is investing about five hundred and twenty million dollars to construct its infrastructure base including operational offices and staff accommodation, processing plants and Tailings Storage Facilities to allow for full mining operations to begin at the end of 2024.
As a result, the two communities were resettled in last year with 121 urban type services fitted and well laid concrete residential buildings for the two communities, reticulated electric power, improved water supply and sanitation and improved community roads.
However, some residents said that although they are pleased with the structures, they do not have any source of livelihood.
SOURCE: GNA
