F4A LEG Ghana MCS Fund Strengthening the capacity of LEG for improved advocacy

Ghana, rich in minerals like gold, now leads gold production in Africa. The mining sector, providing jobs and state revenue, is significant for the economy. For instance, Newmont Ghana Gold Limited contributed over 843 million Ghana Cedis in early 2023 and 1.295 billion cedis in the first quarter of 2024 in taxes and royalties Yet, mining, particularly gold, brings severe social, environmental, and human rights issues. Ghana’s mining has been cited as a major human rights violator, causing
displacement and poverty.

The sector is plagued by legal non-compliance, human rights abuses, property destruction without fair compensation, and environmental pollution. Despite this, few scientific studies have examined these abuses since reports by CHRAJ in 2008 and LEG in 2010.
Additionally, digital communication, crucial for outreach and fundraising, is a skill gap among LEG’s staff and volunteers. This deficiency has kept two decades and has retired our development. Livelihood and Environment Ghana (LEG) is seeking a grant support of € 19,980 from MCS Fund to document human rights abuses, improve digital communication skills, and enhance fundraising for sustainability.

The fund would be used for the implementation of two related activities which together will strengthen the capacity of LEG, our community volunteers and F4All partners of Oxfam Ghana and TWN-Africa to contribute to ongoing advocacy for ending impunity in local communities. The firstactivity is evidenced-based research on human rights abuses incommunities affected by mining. The second activity is targeted capacity building and training on two areas: digital communication and fundraising.

All the two activities will be completedby the end of 2024. The results of the activities will continue  to be used for a couple of years beyond as beneficiaries will be equipped with knowledge, skills and techniques for digital communication andfundraising. The research is expected to produce evidence/results that would stimulate continued advocacy on human rights. But the knowledge and skills acquired on digital communication will be sufficiently valuable for the implementation of aspects of research findings. In the implementation of the activities, LEG will work with researchers and community based volunteers from communities affected by mining and F4All partners in Ghana to improve coordinated campaigns while avoiding overlap and duplication in those communities.

The total funding being sought for project is € 19,980 broken down as follows:
1. Research project - € 8,396
2. Capacity building and Training:
a. Digital communication- €4,548
b. Fundraising – € 2,145
3. Advocacy and engagement - € 3,532 (launch of research report and advocacy engagements)
4. Administrative overheads cost- € 1,359

LEG is uniquely placed to implement this project and optimize the opportunities that this funding will offer. LEG’s long running involvement (2 decades) in community work and grassroots networking and advocacy on mining issues has enabled it develop experience and a range of relationships with variety of actors at the local level the type which is needed to best engage long after the implementation of the project.