Context:

The Lake Victoria Basin is dotted with artisanal and Small Scale Gold Mining (ASGM) activities. The exact number is not yet established. However, a big number of youths, most of them of school going age and their teachers participate in ASGM ? related activities. Mercury is used in gold mining to extract gold from ore for forming an amalgam. The amalgam is then heated, evaporating the mercury from the mixture, leaving only the gold. Mercury use in ASGM accounts for around 35% of mercury emission. It is the largest single source of mercury pollution to air and water. In particular, mercury vapors near amalgam burning sites can be alarmingly high affecting not only the health of ASGM workers but also those local communities living near the processing centres. This project, presented under the auspices of the Minamata Convention will train artisanal miners on new methods of low mercury technology in gold extraction. They will also be trained to prevent leakages of mercury into the Lake Victoria waters.


About the Proponent:

OKOA is not for profit NGO. The NGO seeks to build the capacity of small miners to use low mercury technology in gold extraction. It is promoting gold separation technology that prevents leakage into a water source. The NGO was established in 2014 and registered in 2015. Most of their capacity building activities are carried out around Lake Victoria.


Project?s Primary Objective:

To promote low-mercury technology in ASGM in order to reduce mercury pollution in air and water.


Secondary Objective:

To build the capacity of artisanal miners, mainly youths to prevent leakage of mercury into the water.