Barksanem takes giant leap in mining

The Barksanem(BKS™) is using innovation to champion sustainable, solidarity in its Artisanal Mining. The company founded in 2011, is preparing to comeback to the mining scene to undertake structural and strategic reorganisation, with more ambitious objectives, initiatives, innovation, and benefits for the local population.

Proposed products and benefits to the population

Barksanem™ as part of its License, proposes the identification, GPS tracking and organization of its mining operations through a unique mapping system. This includes the Registration, identification, and accompaniment of miners and their families. The tracking and control of minerals from the extraction until they are sold forms part of the process.

Among other things, Barksanem intends to create a digital currency based on gold; revitalize the barter system within the community; as well as the intensification of training and certification, which comes with the creation of an individualized virtual wallet.

The digital currency thus offers the previously unbanked the opportunity to use the banking institutions of the country, while benefiting from an individual or collective means of payment, and in the long term, ensure health monitoring through an individualized booklet. In order words the digital currency will be exchangeable for paper money of different currencies within the operational jurisdiction of the company.

One of the principles of Barksanem™ according to its CEO Etienne Atger, is in its slogan: "Innovation with respect to tradition". "Ultimately, while becoming a successful mining company, the Barksanem™ License contributes to the virtuous circle of micro-communities through mining in economic, social and environmental terms," he stated.

Among other advantages that will directly benefit the people, Mr. Atger cited agricultural projects (economic alternatives for women), education, health, access to water and sanitation, energy solutions. Mr Atger stressed that "the registration of gold miners on Barksanem™ sites, and also elsewhere and if possible throughout the country, will provide access to information until now very incomplete, on a population difficult to accompany due to its mobility, its fragility and the difficulties of integration encountered in many places in the country, as in most countries where mining is at the heart of their economy".

The history of Barksanem™ goes back to the time of Upper Volta when the current CEO, Etienne Atger, then a child, lived and grew up. He traveled regularly across the country. Later, he made many trips to West Africa, as part of development initiatives with an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) where Séraphin Guigma, Director of Operations Barksanem™ also worked. "Our knowledge of the field, the economic landscape, its place in the world of gold mining and the incentive policies of the government are among the main reasons West Africa was particularly attractive for the development of our business" reflects Etienne Atger. He indicated that he chose to limit himself to the establishment of ASMs or artisanal and semi-mechanized mining and not develop a “small mining company” or an “Industrial mine”.

"The reasons are found in our territorial approach which allows the mining activity to intrinsically integrate with the village and mining community thus making mining fully ingrained into the development of the territory." This would be extremely difficult to manage in the framework of industrial mining practices, for example" he explained.

Who is Barksanem™?

Barksanem™ is an international mining company created in 2011, which has been working to find solutions to problems encountered in the mining space. The creation of BKS™ was brought about after field observations and a clear vision of territorial sustainable development, in line with the challenges of transformation described in various international charters.

"Our experience in the mining sector in Africa demonstrates the following: the harvesting of subsoil wealth is too often a source of poverty, conflict, environmental degradation symptomatic of a vicious economic circle," suggested Etienne Atger. Based on our research and our previous mining experience in early 2000, BKS™ created a sister company in the USA that markets and sells a portfolio of technologies, the Barksanem™ License, (precious metals extraction, digital money, tracking …) targeting the economic and environmental autonomy of micro-communities (50 to 500 population equivalents).

“Specifically relating to mining communities, our core target, our approach integrates the extraction and monetization of minerals, essential support of economic autonomy, crucial prerequisites to energy and ecological autonomy through the decontamination of water, air, and soil. he explained.” BKS™ optimizes the physical logistics chain linked to artisanal mining.

The company also deploy innovative technologies for the tracking of precious minerals, while participating in the economic and environmental development of micro-communities. “Our approach to monetization turns the production of ore into a digital currency compatible with a portfolio of new services." says Atger. The BKS™ territorial approach makes it possible to integrate artisanal gold mining into its operations. These miners are often working on mining sites before ever being selected by mining companies. The identification and registration of these miners and their families facilitate the support of artisanal gold mining, while contemporaneously fighting against recurring fraud specific to the mining sector. Furthermore, making it possible to obtain the “Fair Mining” certification for artisanal gold mining. "Our approach also makes it possible for children to go back to school, proposes economic alternatives for women, without loss of income (projects to provide access to water and sanitation for the populations of the territories, soil remediation) and aims to improve the artisanal practices of mining, etc." stated the CEO of BKS™.

Allow Missions to select qualified heads

Government has been urged to allow Bishops and other Heads of Missions to choose qualified practicing members of the faith to head their schools in the country to ensure efficient and effective management of these institutions.

The Association of Catholic Heads of Higher Institutions (ACHHI), made the appeal at the end of its 38^th Annual National Conference at the Pope John’s Minor Seminary and Senior High School at Koforidua last month.

In a seven-point communique, the Association encouraged heads of Schools to intensify the teaching and learning of Religious and Moral Education in their schools, which as a prerequisite in ensuring the holistic formation of the students.

The Communique also called on Catholic heads of schools to acquaint themselves more on Government’s educational policies, as well as the objective of Catholic education in the country. This is envisaged to equip them with adequate knowledge needed to lead the young people entrusted to their care.

Similarly, the heads advocated for the clear definition of the General and Regional Managers of Unit Schools roles and their offices, calling for the offices to be well-resourced to enable the officers function effectively.

The Communique signed by Very Rev. Fr. Nicholas Kwame Apetorgbor, President of ACHHI and Rector of St. Cyprian Minor Seminary SHS, Sawla, reechoed the need for all stakeholders to actively play their roles towards a more effective management and administration of the schools.

Members at the Conference, themed: Effective Management and Administration of Catholic Schools: The Role of Stakeholders, were optimistic that the partnership between the State and the Missions which the Government has always supported, would be strengthened for the benefit of students, parents and the country as a whole.

“Since Catholic spirituality makes preferential option for the poor, we welcome the Free Senior High School Policy.” While encouraging dialogue and constructive criticism to get the best out of the policy, they expressed hope that the programme would be of “utmost benefit to the poor and needy in society”.

Youth Link celebrates Komla Blege

Youth Link Ghana a non for profit Christian Organisation with interest in helping the holistic education of Children to maximise their full potentials, recently honoured Mr. Walter Komla Blege, a seasoned Art Composer, Author, Educationist, Historian and Politician.

Presenting a citation to the octogenarian, Mr. Kakra Opoku Agyakwa, Executive Secretary of Youth Link, extolled the Musician’s contribution to the growth of music in the country and stressed the need to celebrate these men while they lived.

The citation lauded Mr Blege “for using music to convince the world that your identity lies in the expression of indigenous African music”.

Beside the citation, Youth Link selected one of his compositions -Enno Ninyo, to wit Let it be good, as the theme song for this year’s edition of the Voice Battle held at the Ghana Police Church at 37, Accra.

While thanking organisers of the programme for the honour, Mr. Blege, in his all white attired, urged composers to project Ghanaian values and unique identity of the country in their compositions.

At 86, he still shares the conviction that music is his desire – a desire that convinces him that the answer to the question of his identity lies in the expression of indigenous African music.

Mr. Blege who is deeply influenced by the traditional genre of music, including gabada, gavu, gbolo and borborbor, is the first Ghanaian to have written a two-hour opera on the advent of Christianity in Africa by Europeans, using the example of the Bremen Missionary in Peki.

With hundreds of composition to his credit, the Art Composer is also recognised for his significant role in the indigenisation of the Ewe Music for Christian liturgy in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

He is the author of the book entitled: Teaching for Development, which won the 1988 edition of the Ghana Book Award.  Until recently, Mr. Blege was the President of the Evangelical Presbyterian University College (EPUC), Ho.

His Excellency Charles B. Josob, Namibian High Commissioner to Ghana, commended Youth Link for celebrating Mr. Blege, who he urged the young to emulate.

Madam Josephine Nkrumah, Chairperson of the National Commission for Civic Education, eulogised Mr. Blege, urged stakeholders to harness the power of music in nation building.

G.A.E.C School Wins Voice Battle

The Ghana Atomic Energy Commission Basic School in Accra put up a spirited show to unseat defending champions Mount Zion Methodist School to win the 5^th edition of the Voice Battle concert.

The Choir in their colourful traditional kente with white top and a head gear to match, showed that they meant business during the contest at the Ghana Police Interdenominational Church at 37, Accra.

They stole the show by their composure, stage craft and warmed their way into the hearts of patrons by the way they moved with the rhythms of the song.

The winners displayed creativity, confidence and dynamism in the way the performed the songs on stage, which even got the composer of the compulsory song Mr. Komla Blege nodding.

The programme organised by the Youth Link Ghana, in partnership with the Mount Zion Methodist School, winners of the 4^th edition of the show, brought together Pupils from Valley View University Basic School, Oyibi, who emerged third.

Other participating schools included the Our Lady of Holy Cross, Kasoa, Unique Child School, Teshie, Alpha Beta School, Dansoman and May Flower International School.

Also in attendance were the Englebert School, British International School, and the Living Star School.

Similarly, Pupils of the Ghana Pearl School, founded by Mr. Blege also staged a performance at the function.

At the programme some patrons and teachers who prepared the pupils for the competition were presented with certificates for their efforts.  

Accra to turn waste into wealth

The Catholic Archdiocese of Accra has expressed it readiness to partner Caritas Ghana and other stakeholders to turn tones of electronic wastes into wealth and help preserve the earth.

Shot of old discarded TV sets culled from the net.

Most Rev. Charles G. Palmer-Buckle, Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, who decried the threat electronic and plastic waste posed to the country, voiced the enthusiasm of the Archdiocese to see to the fruition of the soon-to-commence Caritas E-Waste Project in the Archdiocese.

The Archbishop made these remarks after a recent Senate meeting at the Holy Spirit Cathedral, Adabraka, where Officials of Caritas Ghana, the National Catholic Secretariat (NCS) and City Waste, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) briefed the meeting about the need for the project to save and preserve the earth.

The Caritas E-Waste ‘Care for our Common Home’ project, launched in October 2017, was a response to calls by Pope Francis in his second encyclical ‘Laudato Si’ and the GCBC for immediate action to address electronic waste and ultimately help preserve earth.

Archbishop Palmer-Buckle observed that “as human beings we have been destroying our environment through improper disposal of our waste to our own detriment,” adding that by purchasing the latest technological devices, people inadvertently create so much waste (e-waste)”.

E-waste dump culled from Alamy stock photo

Through the project, the Archbishop noted that e-waste would be properly disposed of in ways that were environmentally friendly and safe, which would help preserve the earth and avert the destruction and further pollution of the environment.

Aside preserving the environment, he noted that the project would also create gainful employment for the youth who would be engaged when the project rolls out.

To this end, the Archbishop mentioned that the Accra Archdiocesan Youth Council and the parishes would be involved to help conscientise and mobilise the youth to take advantage of the opportunities the project would avail them.

According to Mr. Samuel Zan Akologo, Executive Secretary, Department of Human Development/Caritas Ghana at the National Catholic Secretariat, Caritas Ghana and City Waste were ready to partner the Archdiocese of Accra in piloting the E-Waste Project.

With huge tones of e-waste generated in Accra, the Executive Secretary, explained that after the successful piloting in the national capital, the project would be scaled up and extended to other Arch/Dioceses in the country.

Mrs. Vivian Atiayibor, Managing Directress of City Waste, stated that her company has a state of the arts facility to enable the implementation of the project, as well as follow safety standard rules to ensure that the project was succussful.

Touching on the legal frameworks in the control and management of electronic waste, Mr. Lambert Faabeluon, Director of the Standards, Compliance and Enforcement Division at the EPA, commended Caritas Ghana for the value it was bringing in formalising the e-waste collection in the country.