Artisanal mining in neighbouring countries and how women are affected

Community Alerts, Lorraine Kakaza, MoumaMpuma, Carolina, 2018/06/29

On the 27th of June 2018

I visited  the place called Tiira Village Silauda Sub -country in the Sam’s Bugkie North ( this place is close to Kenya ‘s Boarder)

In this area there were many small artisan miners  the first thing  i saw is the processing plant with the machine called Balmille (balls that help to break down the stones)

Women use the  hammer to break the stones before the stones go to plant they go for 1 case to fetch the stones using basin everyday  they work from 6am everyday .They work till late and get nothing…its so painful

Stones are collected from pits and broken into pieces measured in a basin and put to the machine for 45 minutes to a powder form
To the next process called snoozing  pound
But its done in a local way .

They finalizing the washing process by putting mercury of which is the cold practice by collecting the gold particles.
Dangers of Mercury

-Blindness
-Memory lose
– Women get miscarriage (deformed babies)

Process of Gold  they use small cloth by squeezing the mercury gold will remain on the piece of cloth and heat it by using portable gas solider colour to go to its colour

In this area there are 3 association

1st -Busia United Company ( licence)
2nd- Tiira small scale  mining and (licenced)
3rd- Tiira landlords  and Artisanal miners still on the proceed to get the mining licence .

This are was mining started in 1930 by their fore father’s use to work with Turkey’s and now they are taking over as the community  and this  it’s a customary land  they partnered with the Turkey guy  whose  name was not shared who got these big machines Excavator, Dump trucks  they  form groups each family has got a side .

How’s the relationship with the Turkey friend  and the community .
50% goes to the owner of the land
50 % goes to the partner as he got big machines and workers are not paid    women , men and Youth/early child labour

10 basin is equal to one gram ten workers produce 100%
1 basin is equal to 3grams

* what I have notice they are not paid in cash  but paid in stones of which is gold and they sell it to put food on the table because they are able to go and sell .

-So far they have Open cast mines particular to these area  and they have  big open pits  sue to technology and financial they are unable to close these big pits but they leave that to the future partner

– it’s hard for them to do underground  mine  because  they need lot of concrete propping so they don’t neglect pit because 5heir dream is to rehabilitate  the area and do agricultural activities as their soul is rich.

They do have future project  planning

* They calculate  their savings they have the bank, monitoring resource office and they are ploughing  back to the community they have contributed to the school called Tiira primary school they have painted the classrooms next step is to put the laptops for children’s

The role of the gorvernment is to formalize information to the organisation how to apply for the mining right, licence  and monitor the progress EIA ( environmental  Impact assessment ) and revenues.

Women are given light duty  to break the stones using the hammer using hands without protective clothes no hand gloves , glasses  they use lot of strength  and have to go back home to do the house chores

Role of traditional leaders in UGANDA

– THEY ARE MARGINALISED  OR THEY DON’T HAVE POWERS

LOCAL GORVERNMENT HANDLE  THE ISSUES OF MININNG RIGHT
By Lorraine Kakaza – SEJA
Location Uganda
District-Busia