She applauded the various projects being undertaken by the Chamber and other mining companies to improve the livelihoods of mining communities.

However, a more lasting impact would be made if the Chamber and stakeholders worked collaboratively with the NAELP to create projects that could employ a chunk of the youth in the mining areas to improve livelihoods, she said.

She expressed the Programme’s interest in shaping the corporate social responsibility initiatives of mining companies to align with the Government’s priority projects.

Dr Donkor mentioned plans of holding a Mining Impact/CSR Expo, which would bring stakeholders together to showcase their investments and the impact made so far on the mining communities.

She expressed the belief that the NAELP could leverage on the weight of the Chamber to deepen collaboration at the highest level.

Dr Sulemanu Koney, the Chief Executive Officer, Chamber of Mines, welcomed the ideas and ideals of NAELP, and said finding alternative livelihoods was a major avenue to contribute to national development.

” It is such a great work you are doing and we are more than willing to collaborate with you to make this impact,” he added.

He, however, pointed to the need to think through the demands of the mining communities and skew projects in those directions to yield better results.

Dr Koney cited the new Mining and Minerals Technology Faculty block, donated by the Chamber of Mines to the George Paa Grant University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa, as a good place to start with research on demands in the sector.

There was also the need to understand the relationship between mining and the non-mineral resource and find linkages that would help the projects to contribute impactfully to the development of mining communities and the country.