Migrant remittances are an important supplementary form of support for many households and provide one of the few means of entering the cash economy. Few have specialised or full-time formal employment as opportunities are extremely limited. All households stated that their members were Muslim though traditional beliefs in the supernatural are also commonly held. Local communities are characteristically peaceful without some of the major social problems encountered within larger towns and cities. It was feared that this might change with the influx of outsiders seeking employment at the mine or with associated entrepreneurial initiatives.
Households have an extremely limited amount of assets.
Household water security was seen as a critical issue by the villagers who were fearful that any change to water quantity and quality would imperil their livelihoods. Village settlement patterns are primarily determined by the availability of adequate water supplies and arable land. Villages are almost totally reliant on subsistence agricultural activities. Arable soils are limited in extent and most crop lands occur in wide, gently-sloping, alluvial basins. Some of these areas exist some distance downstream of the mine.