AMA-GCMF GLobal Community Miners Forum

The journey towards reducing and eventually eliminating the uncontrolled use of mercury in artisanal gold production progressed this week. Testing the four parts of Appropriate Process Technologies (APT) GroundBreaker system by Solomon Opiyo and John Asembo continued on John’s mining site in western Kenya. This system is so new that it is not yet being marketed by APT and only three of their brand-new GoldKacha-mini (miniGK) gravity concentrators have been manufactured to date. So, getting a prototype for end user testing by miners has been quite a coup, although nerve wracking! APT ran tests on the device at their workshops in Harare and Johannesburg before giving me the thumbs up to purchase a prototype, and these are the very first results from an operating mine. The guys are very impressed by the simplicity, good gold particle recovery and labour-saving speed of the miniGK over present sluicing methods, which are muddy, messy, slow and require hessian blankets to be periodically washed and re-laid on makeshift planks. It is this capacity of the GoldKacha (GK), and now the miniGK, to improve the working lives of women miners, particularly when re-treating dump materials that caught my attention originally. I introduced the first application of the GK into Uganda some years ago and women in mining were pleased with its productivity. It has now taken off in artisanal and small-scale gold mining, especially in Ghana; however, this much smaller version, the miniGK is now proving itself commercially.    The second device in the system is the GoldGrader sluice which Solomon Opiyo attached to the miniGK and whose job is to catch any gold particles that may have escaped in the overflow waste slurry. Using his electronic scale, Solomon established that the gold captured on the sluice mat was only about ten percent more than that extracted by the miniGK. This means the miniGK is very efficient in gold recovery, as well as being much quicker than traditional sluicing. So far, the guys have only treated tailings from nearby dumps with newly mined, higher-grade ores to be tested next, which is when the ten percent extra recovery will be significant. John and Solomon are now building a shed over an even floor to mount the miniGK and GoldGrader and sort out the optimum water flow by fitting a backup pump, hoses, and gate valves. A correct and then consistent flow of water-based slurry is presently being determined and this will further improve gold recoveries. Word limits mean I will report on other equipment supplied with the GroundBreaker system in my next post, but it’s good news all round. Solomon and John are very positive. There is still work to be done, as would be expected, to optimize the miniGK and GoldGrader throughputs. Then we can invite miners and mining enterprise owners in the vicinity to see a way forward for an absolutely bottom-up approach to mercury-free mining...  

when trying to understand Mercury and it's management in the ASGM sector, there are important facts one needs to understand: 1. Mercury supplied to ASGM miners contains impurities and needs to be 'cleaned' before use for better recovery. 2. It vaporizes at a temperature of 356 degrees Celsius. 3. Due to such a high vaporing temperatures, it condeses so fast. 4. It also vaporizes at room temperature but at extremely low rate that can't be easily noticed. 5. The efficiency of Mercury can be improved. 6. It has serious health and environmental impacts. Personally, from experience, I can say that Mercury is here to stay much longer than we can imagine cause it's the most convenient for use in artisanal and small scale operations however dangerous it is. We should therefore embrace it find a better way to live and operate well with it cause it's the 'devil' we know. The amount of gold recovered through Mercury amalgamation is quite little cause of it's efficiency but this can change. Mercury can be 'cleaned' to remove the impurities and it's efficiency can be increased to higher levels. With a good design for retorts in consideration of all the properties of Mercury, we can get more than 99% recovery of Mercury from an amalgam and reduce highly the effects of Mercury on health and environment. With good knowledge and accuracy in Mercury activation, which is a simple process, we can improve Mercury recovery through amalgamation up to over 60%. A good working Mercury retort can be used to eliminate the impurities before activation. I'm open to a discussion on how we can get all these done in your mining sites. Minamata Convention on Mercury AMA-GCMF GLobal Community Miners Forum Ecomining Africa #asgm #reducemercurypolution

An interesting new product in development with our youth mining community in Kenya which is headed up by one of GCMFs very own gold miners, Opiyo Solomon. Solomon is on the forefront of mining development in Kenya and is working on cutting edge projects including retorts. keep an eye on this trio of future leaders in mining, Opiyo Solomon, Grace Akinyi and Simon Kupalia

A historic day in small scale mining. Our very own GCMF Chairman and Indonesias national Chairman Gatot Sugiharto signed an MOU with our National Kenyan Chairman Dan Odida agreeing to work together Mining community with mining community to improve the conditions of #ASM in both countries. In the first photo, you can see the two chairman along with Vishal khagram and the Indonesian, deputy minister of mining and minerals. The deputy was presented with a GCMF ASMAK APRI tshirt commemorating the event at the @Indonesia Africa forum #IAF https://iaf.kemlu.go.id/ Toby Pomeroy Terry Garde Yahaya Abdul-Qudus Simon Njovu Fred Ouko Opiyo Solomon Justin Senteu Jean-Thierry SONGOMALI Michel Nsamba Rob Karpati Shaun Lethoko Robin S. Smith Gilli Janet Adeyemi yani taufik, Zheng Gong Madiou-Adnane Barry JONATHAN KEKELYS Dopavogui Joseph Siba Evariste Umba-Tsumbu Charles Lotara Wellington Takavarasha Immaculate Javia

Hello Everyone! Great news! from Kenya A few days ago at our Nairobi office, Justin Senteu presented our very own Gold Miners Wellness Checklist to our office secretary Evylene, both in Swahili and English, printed and framed courtesy of the GEF Fund! Thanks to Justin and Mayani at the Ministry of Environment, our miner-made document was adopted and printed by the Ministry and the UN's Planet Gold Kenya. I've been informed they printed and framed a total of 50 copies in both languages, which are set to be distributed across all our mining areas her in Kenya. To my knowledge, this is the first time a UN project has adopted a 100% miner-made document. (Correct me if I'm wrong!) This feels like a real milestone. Just as with this milestone, I hope to see Planet Gold and other stakeholders continue to have ASMAK lead the way in developing projects for funding, just like we did with the checklist. Miners understand what works best in their communities, and ASMAK should no longer be mere observers at events like the Minamata Convention and OECD; we should be fully engaged leaders in decision-making processes about what gets funded in our communities. Miners leading Mining Development! Last Year The Gold Miners Wellness Checklist creation was overseen by Kenyas ASMAK honorable Chairman Dan Odida, Kephers KochUka Main Chairman In Migori Bismarck Ndisio and Prepared by Dr. Nehemiah Oletapi (Narok), Matt Hales, Solomon Opiyo Opiyo Solomon Justin Senteu, William Renz and Fred Ouko.

Wherever we are, we need peace.

These zapping sequences illustrate the sustainability of the difficulties linked to #ASM that have always existed and that we ourselves have never wanted them to cease until today; if man and the major players in industrial development are responsible for global warming, we can also say that they are responsible for the illegal exploitation of #ASM and the misery of mining communities; however, how many funds have been unanimously mobilized to fight against #climatechange and how many funds have been unanimously mobilized to fight against the informal and illegal #ASM? It's obvious today that the disproportion of #ASM funding can't transform #poverty into prosperity. We have found alternatives to fossil fuels and are willing to spend about 2.9 billion dollars to build a single cathode manufacturing plant for electric batteries to ensure the continuity of our lives, but have not planned any industry to allow those who produce more than 30% of critical raw materials to work in #dignity and escape #poverty… From another angle, have you ever seen a woman in mining protecting her body with a waterproof suit in a pond of muddy water washing #gold? No; you will see her not once, but every day inside a muddy water soaked up to the level of the hips washing #gold in an unsanitary environment for her #health! Yet they are given vests, helmets and sometimes safety shoes etc… but rarely or never waterproof suit to protect their bodies from dirty water….why? You might tell me that they enjoy this situation of deprivation because it has been generational since the time of their great-grandparents; Okay! But did we tell them: come and let's go live in the city where you will have a nice house, nice car, social security, good schools for the children etc, and they refused? In short, we know that the solutions exist and that the resources are there; it's not a matter of taking care of the entire population of the planet, but of a fringe of the population that interacts with the planet; they work for #sustainabledevelopment; they are the actors of #sustainabledevelopment and #energytransition because they produce the #rawmaterials that the world needs, unfortunately by enduring the suffering that you have just visualized in the zapping! It's time to transform. #jeanthierrysongomali, #oecd, #unep, #unitednations, #europeanunion, #undp, #unido, #gef #usaid, #minamataconvention, #worldgoldcouncil, #icglr #artisanalgoldcouncil, #womaninmining, #matthales, #planetgold,  #sustainabledevelopment, #responsiblemining, #responsiblesourcing, #oacps-sstc, #futurofmining, #climat, #savetheenvironment, #criticalmineralsresources, #africamaval, #crms, #energytransition #eubatteriesregulation, #environmentalsustainability, #criticalmaterials, #crms, #undrip, #ecrm, #energytransition, #netzero, #sdgs, #esg  #sustainablemining #sustainability, #energytransition #transitionminerals #justtransition #asm #lsm #fpic, #freepriorandinformedconsent, #climatejustice, #mininginvestment

For my PhD thesis I had to survey the artisanal and small-scale mining literature, and the vast number of interventions, reports, research, and papers indicated just how complicated the situation is on the ground. Two of the many approaches to development that stood out were firstly addressing a specific or identified need, and secondly, the holistic approach. The first, or narrow approach was by intervenors addressing a specific concern that could be funded, these included e.g. training on mercury handling, education regarding sexually transmitted diseases, limited mechanisation, implementing policies towards responsible mining, and so on. These previous efforts at development were/ are often critiqued in the media in a variety of ways, with a sense that despite these efforts, there has been a lack of overall progress in developing the sector. This lack is often attributed to factors that were not considered during an intervention, especially those with a limited time frame of funding, typically 3 years, sometimes renewed for a similar period. So secondly, there is a tendency among approaches to the development of artisanal mining to think holistically, to think through and write about the big picture, to consider the whole slew of issues facing the sector. This is not surprising, partly because the issues facing developers are multiple and complex. However, I think that here are two difficulties with this approach to address the many needs that are manifest in the world of artisanal mining. Firstly, the sheer cost of a multi-pronged approach and the priority of the chosen intervention. Once the project is finished conceptually and costed, the number of zeros behind the dollar, euro or pound is often startling – HOW MUCH? This budget worry can paralyse this approach. And the second question, ‘WHERE TO BEGIN?’ is so hard to get a handle on. As noted above, it’s so often based on where project money can be found rather than fulfilling the miners’ asked-for-needs; real or perceived. And yet we cannot resist returning to the holistic program. As I have surveyed the wish lists of so many great ideas, approaches, and projects over the past decade, I wonder what affordable hook can be attached to the situation that will sustain development. What, within all this thoughtfulness, intelligence, and goodness that lies behind these approaches, can really make the difference that the community miners (and those concerned with or affected by mining) are searching for?  

Artisanal #mining formalization makes commercial sense. Estelle Levin-Nally CDir Dip IoD, founder of Levin Sources and a recognized global expert on artisanal mining, defines formalization as ‘the transition toward organized and professionalized systems of production in and through which responsible business conduct and sustainable development are more feasible and desirable, and thus more likely.’ Transitions to stable predictable equitable business relationships through enhanced governance, access to financing, value chain redefinitions and mining practice improvements are all implicit in formalization. Formalization delivers: 🎉 socially - enhanced dignity of work - robust #governance supports transitions to stable predictable equitable business relationships, reducing poverty, improving safety and lowering vulnerability of miners to predatory actors 🎉 economically - equipping, training and transitioning to good practices increases productivity by 2X, 3X or even 5X, economic value for miners, returns for investors and #sustainabledevelopment for neighboring communities 🎉 environmentally - reduced #mercury contamination, reduced deforestation and increased #criticalminerals supply through formalization all support environmental outcomes There are 45 million artisanal miners working in 80+ countries. Including their families, 225 million people are fully supported by #asm, 2.5% of 🌍 population. The World Bank estimates that another 139-278 million people sell food, shelter, clothing and equipment into the sector. The footprint is massive, putting opportunities around social, economic and environmental gains into context. The Blended Capital Group and our partners are committed to reimagining outcomes in artisanal mining. The combination of social, economic and environmental gains that are delivered is commercially attractive for #mininginvestment and #impactinvestment. Now is the time to deliver these gains - mining needs to grow, basic context for the opportunities that are on the table. We are working with strategic investors to define and deploy financing instruments that make sense. Reach out to discuss. Levin Sources Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) BanQu Inc. Napier Meridian #responsiblemining #esg #sdgs #netzero #energytransition #sustainability

ASMAKenya on BBC! (skip to the 24 minute mark) https://lnkd.in/deyAuz3q Amazing!! OUR very own ASMAKenya Chair Dan Odida @Dan Odida and Mary Alwany @alwanyi mary Kakamega Western Kenya Board and 1 other member interviewed by BBC Radio on the safety in Kenyan artisanal and smallscale mining sector. Follow the link below towards end of it at the 24 minute mark 👇🏿 https://lnkd.in/deyAuz3q Dan Odida Gatot Sugiharto Immaculate Javia Toby Pomeroy Robin S. Smith Gilli Jean Paul BITOUMOU Jean-Thierry SONGOMALI Rob Karpati Terry Garde