Monday 7 September 2015

EDUCATE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON DANGERS OF ARTISANAL SMALL SCALE MINING, A SURVEY RECOMMENDS



By Elephant group- Voices of North Mara Youth
   There is a need to create community awareness on the dangers caused by artisanal and small- scale mining (ASM) activities, a latest survey by Voices of North Mara Youth recommends.
  Many  do not understand the harm of breathing dust generated  during artisanal and small scale mining process and  the use of mercury ”, reads part of the survey conducted by Voices of North Mara Youth students from Bwirege secondary school peace club recently.
  The survey was aimed at identifying reasons that push some children in villages surrounding North Mara Gold Mine to work in artisanal and small scale mining areas instead of attending school.
  The report further recommends that, villages living in artisanal and small scale mining areas should be encouraged to focus on sustainable economic generating activities that do not put their lives in danger.
 Through education, the community members should be encouraged to choose less harmful ways of creating income, like farming or cattle rearing”, the report states.
 According to the survey poverty and lack of alternative employment are the major factors driving children and youth to engage in ASM (Artisanal and Small Scale Mining) 



A villager fills a questionnaire recently when students belonging to Elephant group from Ingwe secondary peace club were conducting survey to identify reasons that push children to work in artisanal and small scale mining areas (photo by Nyangi Mohanga- Voices of North Mara Youth)

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