At least 1,900 people living in the catchments of Anglogold Ashanti Iduapriem Limited (AAIL) have benefited from its alternative livelihood programme which was first launched in 2005. In addition, AAIL has since 2004 invested nearly two million dollars in social and community development programmes in areas such as water, health and sanitation, education, and general infrastructure, including feeder roads. Speaking at the re-launch of the alternative livelihood scheme, dubbed ‘Hand-in-Hand’ at Iduapriem, Mr George Mireku Duker, Tarkwa–Nsuaem Municipal Chief Executive, expressed government’s commitment to creating conducive atmosphere for business to thrive. The programme provides support to people in the catchments of the mine to undertake alternative livelihood projects such as vegetable and oil palm production, small ruminant rearing, snail and fish farming, piggery and soap-making. Mr Duker appealed to mining companies to honour their social responsibilities for the people in their catchment areas. He advised the communities to also take interest in the programmes in order to improve their livelihood. He advised the communities to form cooperative groups to enable them access credit support from financial institutions. In his welcome address, Mr David Kwesi Renner, Managing Director, AAIL, said the company provided micro credit financing packages to selected groups and individuals engaged in enterprises such as bread baking, hairdressing and petty trading. Mr Renner said the next phase of the programme entailed value addition to the primary produce to enable beneficiaries achieve improved income. He said the company had installed an oil palm processor and corn mill at Adieyie, cassava and corn mill at Abompuniso and another oil palm processor at Teberebie. He added the company was considering bio-diesel production from oil palm, pork processing, and bamboo plantation as additional areas of value addition. He expressed concern that some of the beneficiaries had defaulted in the repayment of micro-credits granted them, and urged them to pay back in time to keep the scheme running. He also mentioned post-harvest losses, poor seeds and misapplication of chemicals, leading to crop losses, and lack of market linkages as other challenges facing the programme. Source: GNA