ACCRA, Mar 5 (THE AFRICAN PORTAL) – The devastating impact of mining on children, families, and entire communities took center stage as Wacam and Faith-Based Organisations convened a powerful forum in the Sunyani Municipality.
The forum organised by Wacam and supported by DKA Austria, brought together church leaders and community stakeholders from the Tano-North Municipality to reflect on the growing threats mining poses to child protection, education, health, and sustainable livelihoods.
Children in mining-affected communities remain among the most vulnerable. Mining-induced displacement uproots families from ancestral lands, destroys farms, and fractures social support systems. An independent study by Wacam on mining-related displacement in Newmont’s fenceline communities reveals troubling realities.
According to the findings children in most of the mining communities are forced to travel long distances to school after relocation, leading to absenteeism, chronic lateness, exhaustion, poor academic performance and in some cases, complete school dropout. But the crisis goes far beyond education.
The participants bemoaned that mining activities contribute nothing but severe environmental degradation – polluted water bodies, contaminated soil, dust-filled air, and exposure to harmful chemicals such as mercury and cyanide. These environmental hazards, they said, pose significant health risks, including respiratory infections, skin diseases, waterborne illnesses, and long-term health complications in children. Pregnant women and infants are particularly at risk due to toxic exposure.
Socio-economic stressors further deepen the crisis. As farms are destroyed and livelihoods collapse, household incomes shrink. Many families struggle to meet basic needs, pushing children into child labour, including hazardous mining activities, to supplement family income. This does not only rob children of their childhood but expose them to accidents, exploitation, physical injuries, and psychological trauma.
The participants also expressed frustration over unfulfilled promises by the government and mining companies. “Despite the extraction of vast mineral wealth, many local youth remain unemployed. Compensation payments and royalties are often delayed or inadequate, and corporate social responsibility commitments frequently fall short of expectations. The result is a painful irony where “communities rich in resources remain trapped in poverty”.
The core objective of the forum was to empower churches and faith leaders to strengthen child protection systems, promote civic participation, and lead community-based advocacy for accountability and responsible mining.
There were PowerPoint presentations by the facilitators Mr. Augustine Niber and Mr. Kwaku Afari on “Mining and Development”, “Rights of the Child”, and the “Role of Faith Based Organisations in promoting the safety of children in mining communities” among others.
Wacam is one of the leading platforms campaigning for responsible mining in all Ghanaian communities with a core message: “Life is more precious than gold”.
