By Isaac Arkoh
Oboyow Forest Reserve (C/R), Mar 17, GNA – In a ground-breaking initiative, Mr Ekow Panyin Okyere Eduamoah, Central Regional Minister, has secured more than 100 acres of the degraded Oboyow forest reserve in the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District to transition illegal miners into farming.
This innovative approach aims to enhance national food security while providing alternative livelihoods for those involved in illegal mining.
Broadly, the initiative would address deforestation, improve rural livelihoods and provide a sustainable solution to illegal mining by creating jobs, particularly for the youth.
The project is being undertaken in collaboration with the Forestry Services Commission (FSC), under the FSC’s Modified Taungya System (MTS) reforestation scheme that allowed farmers to intercrop food crops with timber trees, particularly Cinderellas, sharing benefits from the timber harvest.
The Central Regional Minister, at a visit to hand over about 50-acre land to two of the beneficiaries, narrated the bravery of 28-year-old twin brothers, Oteng Mensah Panyin and Mr Oteng Mensah Kakra at an illegal mining site at Asaman in the Assin Central Municipality.
According to the Minister, while other illegal miners fled on seeing an anti-galamsey team on site, the bold twins stood their ground and shared their harrowing story of struggling to make ends meet after over a decade in illegal mining.
Moved by their plight, the Minister, who incidentally is also a twin, proposed an innovative solution of transitioning them into agriculture.
The Minister indicated that addressing unemployment was crucial in preventing young people from engaging in illegal mining with more lands available for those willing to make the change.
“In fighting the menace of illegal mining in Ghana, we the stakeholders need to speak to the conscience of the illegal miners whenever we get the opportunity because the effects of their activities affect all.
“The youth often claim they have no employment, so I have secured for them more than 100 hectares and there are available lands for others who will opt out of galamsey,” he said.
Sharing their joy and frustrations, the Oteng Mensah’s, narrated how they had always dreamed of building a better life for themselves, however, after completing senior high school, they found themselves struggling to find employment.
With no jobs in sight, they were lured into illegal mining, a practice that had become rampant in their community.
According to them, for 10 years, they travelled to Assin-Asamang in the Fosu, where they toiled in the mines, braving harsh conditions and risking their lives searching for gold.
Despite their hard work, they had little to show for it, but upon the Minister’s engagement, they realised that illegal mining had not only failed to provide them with a sustainable livelihood but also had a devastating impact on the environment.
The twins told the GNA their activities, among others, polluted water sources, vegetative cover, and the once-fertile land was left barren, hence their bold decision to opt out of illegal mining and turn to farming instead upon the Minister’s support.
They wanted their story to serve as a call to action for all those engaged in illegal mining to abandon the destructive practice and instead, explore alternative livelihoods that promote environmental conservation.
“We have seen the devastating impact of illegal mining on our environment and our community. We want to encourage others to join us in finding sustainable ways to earn a living and protect our natural resources for future generations.”
“Farming has given us a new lease on life. We are proud to be contributing to the preservation of our environment and promoting a culture of sustainability in our community,” Mr Panyin said
The Minister’s effort was highly commended by Mr Emmanuel Prprah, Ranger Supervisor, who highlighted the project’s potential impact to restore forest cover, address timber deficits, and contribute to national food security.
The MTS is considered a potential win-win practice for forestry and adaptation, as it addresses both environmental and socio-economic needs.
He said: “The twins’ transformation from illegal miners to environmentally conscious farmers is a testament to the power of innovation and determination. Their story inspires hope for a brighter future, where sustainable livelihoods and environmental conservation go hand-in-hand,” he added.
GNA
AT/CA