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Training availed to small miners
2007-04-29 09:31:56
By Correspondent Nasser Kigwangallah
About 220 small-scale miners at Rwamgasa Village, Geita District in Mwanza Region have received training on how to use mercury safely and protect the environment in their respective jurisdictions.
Rogers Sezinga, the Executive Director of Tan-Discovery, which has been contracted to run the programme on behalf of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), told the Sunday Observer in a telephone interview yesterday that the training to other different groups was progressing well.
``The training is progressing well and soon we are going to shift to Nyaruguru gold mine fields where small-scale miners are concentrated,`` he said.
He said so far they have trained different groups of 20 people each, taking into consideration their role in the protection of the environment.
Sezinga said that the training had been successful because of the fact that they had involved cell leaders, including small-scale miners` groups that are involved in gold extraction, processing and related activities.
Also involved are women entrepreneurs who have been active in the use of mercury in their daily activities.
The Globe Mercury Project was launched last month by UNIDO`s Country Representative, Patricia Scott, at Rwamgasa Village.
Speaking at the event, Scott said it was UNIDO`S responsibility to ensure that small-scale miners were trained on the best use of mercury so that their health could be safeguarded.
``We want to ensure that small-scale miners` health is not endangered and also that the environment is not polluted,`` she pointed out.
She said the programme would take approximately three months and would rotate in three villages of Rwamgasa, Nyarugusu and Nyakagwe in Geita, Mwanza region.
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