Obuasi, Nov 18, GNA - AngloGold Ashanti is to assist 18 families in six communities in the Obuasi Municipality to undertake piggery projects as part of the company's sustainable development initiatives. Under the initiative, the company would ensure that the livelihoods of the people in the mining communities were sustained well after the mining operations, through a number of income generating activities. Already, six families in two communities at Jimiso Kakraba and Ahansoyewodea have been provided with pigsties, one male and two female pigs each to start the project. In addition the company would feed the pigs for one month as part of the package.

Inaugurating the 8,000-dollar Ahansoyewodea Project, Mr Aboagye Ohene Adu, Acting General Manager for Sustainable Development, said the beneficiaries have been offered the necessary training in pig rearing to facilitate the success of the project. He pointed out that the project was on pilot basis and that the initial beneficiaries had to work with commitment to encourage the company to expand the project to cover more families and communities. Mr Adu said when the project was sustained the company would look for investors who would not only create ready markets but add value to the products by turning them into sausages. Mr Kwaku Okrah Siabour, Enterprise Development Superintendent of the Company, named Mampamhwe, Binsere, Adaase and Sansu, as the remaining communities to benefit from the project. He said other areas being considered under the company's sustainable development efforts were oil palm plantation and citrus farming.

Miss Faustina Amissah, Assembly Member for the area noted that AngloGold Ashanti's turn around idea was laudable as it had deepened the company's relationship with the communities. Opanin Boakye Yiadom, one of the beneficiaries on behalf of his colleagues, commended the company for the gesture and pledged that they would ensure the project became viable.