The Government of Ghana with the collaboration of Richie Plantations  started a pilot project dubbed ”Alternative Livelihood Project” through the Minerals Commission, which has since 2007 aimed at finding fallback livelihood for those living in and around Galamsey prone communities in the country. This initiative which started in the Western Region in 2007 was initially funded by the HIPC fund.

After five years of successful implementation of this project and over 15,000 youth getting employed in Western Region, there was the need for the Government to extend the “Alternative Livelihood Project” to other regions in Ghana.

In 2013 the project was extended to Upper Denkyera East and West Districts of the Central Region which achieved another mind-blowing success at the culmination of the project in 2017. With a total of 33,333 acres planted with 2,000,000 hybrid oil palm seedlings which was nursed and supplied to over 17,000 farmers.

Government with the aim of totally eradicating illegal mining  activites and create an alternative source of income for people living in Galamsey areas through Minerals Commission signed a new five-year contract with Richie plantations Ltd to extend the Alternative Livelihood Project to the Eastern Region of the country which began 2018 and will end in 2024.  

By the end of the year in 2024 a total of 10,250,00 hybrid oil palm seedling would’ve been supplied to over 61,700 farmers or people living in Galamsey communities to be planted on over 170,830 acres of land since the inception of this laudable project.