Wacam holds workshop For mining communities.

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Wacam, a human rights and environmental mining advocacy organisation working for the protection of the rights of mining communities, has organised a three-day workshop for 35 participants in Obuasi from 8th to 10th October 2012.

The participants were from ten (10) mining communities in the catchment area of AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi mine namely Anyankyirem, Akatakyieso, Amamom, Adaase, Oseikrom, Twiwaaso, Fenaso, Fawoman, Hiampenipa and Mankonoagonso. About 80% of the participants were women.

The Associate Executive Director of Wacam, Hannah Owusu-Koranteng (Mrs.), explained that the mining communities suffer violations of civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights when surface mining operations are undertaken in their communities.

Surface mining operations result in the loss of livelihood of many land-based communities who depend on farming as a major source of income to support their families and this situation has contributed to the worsening poverty conditions in mining communities.

According to Mrs. Owusu-Koranteng, the livelihood workshop is the first of its kind organised by Wacam with the objective of equipping mining community people, especially women with livelihood skills to address the problem oflivelihood loss and for economic empowerment of mining communities. She said that women in mining communities suffer the greatest negative effects of the destruction of the environment and the loss of livelihood in the event of surface mining and that was the reason for the focus on women in the livelihood skills training workshop.

Explainingthe rationale behind theworkshop,Mrs.Owusu-Koranteng said Wacam had been successful in the protection of the rights of mining communities in the rights education programme and sees economic empowerment as important for the mining communities.

According to her, Wacam developed the Sustainable Livelihood Network (SULNET) programme about five (5) years ago based on Needs Assessment undertaken by Wacam in mining communities. She explained that the SULNET project of Wacam had not been able to materialise for many years due to difficulties in seeking funding for the project.

The participants were taught tie and dye making, soap making, small ruminants rearing, savouries and cookies and grasscutter rearing. She expressed gratitude to DKA, a Catholic Charity organisation in Austria, which funded the livelihood skills development workshop for the mining communities in Obuasi.

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