The LRP would benefit 205 households, for a total of 1, 412 people spread across Sanzule, Bakanta, Krisan, Eikwe, Anyinasi, Esiama, Azuleloanu, Azuleti, Baku and Ampainu, with an overall investment of over $4.2M.

It is aimed at supporting households to restore their livelihoods to at least the level they had before the project began.

The primary focus is to complement the compensation that has been paid by the Project for lost assets and enable households to continue, or replace, forms of livelihoods, or adopt new ways of gaining a livelihood.

The plan has been jointly designed with the interested households and includes activities in the areas of continuous cropping, livestock husbandry, aquaculture and fishing, processing and training.

Participants in the programme chose one or two different economic options they wished to develop and the LRP provided capacity building, direct investment and support for three years.

Ms Marilia Cioni, the Regional External Communication Officer for ENI in a statement to the Ghana News Agency, said Livestock keeping was the option of choice for 122 households, of which 38 chose Piggery, 45 chose Poultry and 39 chose Sheep rearing.

Households would get pig styles, sheep pens or hen/ chicken coops; supply of breeders, feed and veterinary drugs for one production cycle; and veterinary services. Also, they would benefit from specific training, mentoring and coaching.

Aquaculture was chosen by 62 households and under the LRP programme they would benefit by the set-up and management of fish ponds to be harvested and sold to generate revenue.

Catfish has been identified as the most appropriate choice for the ponds to start with – the fish is well adapted in the area, has higher survival rate than tilapia, and enjoys strong demand on local markets. The LRP is providing construction of concrete ponds for catfish production and supply of fingerlings and feed for one production cycle, as well as training, mentoring and coaching.

Continuous cropping was chosen by 18 households, activities include greenhouse for vegetable production, maize production, or mixed farming options, households get land preparation services, agricultural inputs (including seeds, fertilizers, and agrochemicals), and agricultural equipment (e.g., maize threshers), as well as training, mentoring and coaching.

Already, demonstration farms for aquaculture and livestock keeping have been constructed and equipped with fish, livestock and tools, and training activities have been completed. Construction of fish ponds for households that chose aquaculture was ongoing.

The Value addition activities were chosen by 66 households; activities include fish processing, cassava processing, cold store/storage, soap making, bakery, feed mill, food, and maize processing.

Some Vocational and technical activities were chosen by 60 households; activities include auto mechanic, clothing/accessories making, hairdressing, welding, carpentry, masonry, shoe making/cobbler, vulcanizing, services for a fee, and trading.

The construction of the feed mill, maize processing facility and soap making facility have started. Vocation and technical training activities are taking place in a local professional school that has been equipped for the purpose; once the training is completed, the equipment would be formally handed over to the school.

Distribution of starter packs, namely direct investments in the various economic options chosen by project affected people has started for those who chose cold storage, carpentry and masonry.

All households are also getting training in entrepreneurship, recordkeeping and financial management, business planning, regulatory compliance, negotiation skills, child labour and welfare, contract management and marketing, so as to equip them with appropriate entrepreneurial aptitude and managerial skills to implement their livelihood choices as business entities.

To ensure local content in the process, the LRP team in Sanzule compiled a list of local artisans and suppliers with capacity to provide goods and services.

Furthermore, Transitional Support Food Aid (a basket of food comprising rice, oil, gari, beans, sugar, salt and maize) were distributed monthly to the whole Sanzule Community (417 households) between April 2016 – January 2017 and would continue with 205 affected Households until they restore their earning capacity.

Finally, all households that received cash compensation received a Financial Management Training to get the necessary tools and skills to manage their cash, as well as any proceeds/income that would be realized from RRP activities.

The LRP was developed in compliance with International Finance Corporation (IFC) standards, and activities are constantly monitored by the World Bank and IFC.