The chief of Amoanda Nana Kofi Ngoro has appealed to mining companies to offer vocational and technical training to the youth in their catchment communities rather than concentrating more on other Alternative Livelihood Projects. He said when the youth are vocationally equipped, they would be more marketable and have the opportunity of being employed or set up their own small-scale businesses to better their lot. Nana Ngoro was speaking to the GNA at Wassa Amoanda, a mining community near Huni-Valley in the Wassa West District of the Western region. He said Amoanda used to be a farming community until it was taken over by Gold Fields Ghana Limited for mining purposes. According to Nana Ngoro since the mining company began its operations in the area some years ago, farming activities were brought to virtually a standstill resulting in economic hardship of the people. Nana Ngoro said some of the people who could not sit idle and die of hunger ventured into illegal mining, popularly known as "galamsey" to earn a living. Nana Ngoro appealed to the Wassa West District Chief Executive to employ more of the youth under the National Youth Employment Programme in the community in order to minimize poverty. Source: GNA