As part of my researches this week, I decided to delve a little bit into some activities of man that depletes the environment. This time my attention was drawn to "Galamsey" activities in Ghana and its effect on mankind and the environment.

The word "Galamsey" is a Ghanaian term which was derived from the three words in English "gather them and sell" . So as the phrase is being used for a very long time by the local people , it became one word "Galamsey" .This word is accepted and used by different countries across the globe. The word "Galamsey" was derived by small scale miners who are very determined and painstaking to dig the ground to the heart of the earth in order to find the ornament they are searching for.

Take a look at the earth and the environs

The reality is that, the Western ,Upper Denkyira West and the South part of Ghana are the center of this activity. Small scale miners have heighten their dubious, desirous , dastard and heinous acts around these areas. Researches gathered prove that, owners of lands where "galamseyers'' ( illegal miners) think there is a center spot where gold can be found, operators use dubious means to get the land, excavate it and if there is no agreement between the owners and the "galamseyers'' , they find ways to rid the owner off.

There is a traditional believe that, the gold has spiritual backing and if the right sacrificing is not done , the miners will work in vane without getting anything. As a result , they kill innocent souls inside tunnels and pits in order to pave way for a successful activity. Which as they believe , works for them. There are a lot of complains around these areas about missing people.

How it is washed. The youth are mostly the characters doing that

A careful observation reveal that , towns, cities, communities where illegal gold mining takes place ,the inhabitants use the money they get to build lucrative and extravagant structures and develop their livelihoods. Parents , however, force their wards to avoid school and pursue the miners activities instead of education. In these areas , criminal activities , deviants, lackadaisical, obstinate dealings etc are very rampant which makes living in and around these areas not comfortable. Nonetheless, the community have provided and made life there possible for themselves without the aid of the government. Rather government activities are focused on the cities which makes the "galamseyers'' thrive in the rural areas alot.

Illegal mining has taken over a widespread of the land mass of Ghana. Because the country is endowed with minerals such as gold, it suffers excavation by illegal miners who are zealous to find the heart of the earth where gold is stored.

waterbodies in these areas and how they look like.

From the 90's till date, research has shown that ,Obuasi which is and was the leading hotspot for mining activities , has been a risk for human settlement. Half of the land have been taken and used for mining activities. The land our forefathers left for us has been sold to foreigners , chiefs, politicians who with greed have finished almost half of the community lands without any formation for posterity. These dubious miners dig through the land without any proper planning. In these areas, most pits are under buildings where people live. These and so many make living in this community very dangerous.

In some part of the Bono Region which have lands rich in gold and other minerals have been sold to foreigners who have nothing to loose than to unearth the earth and leave area deserted.

However, these activities of illegal miners have destroyed water bodies that serve as a source of water for the use of the communities and towns. Chemicals used by these illegal mining operators are harmful for human consumption. Not only does mining poss a threat to humans but also to plants, animals and generally the ecosystem. Fertile lands become a desert which can't be used for farming because of the harmful chemicals that fight living organisms in the soil. The hazardous and gaseous substances they release into the atmosphere pollutes the environment and affect rainfall in these areas for a long period of time.

Government action must be intensified to bring illegal miners before the law to serve as a deterrent to others who are obstinate and default .In 2016, till date, the government of Ghana has intensified his campaign to stop "Galamsey" in Ghana . One way or the other this campaign have served its course. Our forest and our land is regaining its looks again. The question to the Ghanaian man is , to what benefit is the campaign to the unemployed citizen? Which means if they rest on their laurels a bit the process will rise again. The effort to burn tools of miners such as excavators, diggers, tractors has paved way for the opposition to use it against them in other elections. People in Obuasi where a lot of gold is excavated complain of bad roads and poor electricity yet the benefactors see no need to provide some of these amenities ,because of a contract the mining group have had with illegal mining perpetrators.

Chiefs together with their sub-chiefs must enforce bye-laws to protect their ancestral lands. Government must provide jobs for the majority of the youth who risk their lives under heavy machines and deep holes that are created by amateur hands. Our water system, forestry must be protected by forestry commission so that diseases will be curbed.

If these measures are put in place , the problem associated with illegal mining will be stopped . It is so disheartening that the land and water that is destroyed by "galamseyers'' are very difficult to restore.

I will conclude that the profound awareness of how our land is being destroyed, and our obligation to render our support to the government in order to curb the situation is needed. Let us all support to help our country.

A big thank you to "galamseyers'' and inhabitants in the Upper Denkyira West in Ghana who supported this research.

The pictures I took personally from the Subin community for this research isn't meant to deface the integrity of any personality but for educative purposes.

I cannot forget the expression of love from these reps and personalities. Keep supporting the good work . Together we build.

@njaywan
@nattybongo
@oppongk
@bigssam
@menak
@delakoe
And to All and Sundry, I appreciate your support

Another part of this great country...