Stories from the Field
Rwanda Extractive Workers’ Union (REWU) invites ITSCI at BTN TV
The Rwanda Extractive Workers' Union (REWU) hosts regular TV shows to discuss mining issues, miners' rights, and ways to professionalise the sector. On February On February 29th Ildephonse Niyonsaba, ITSCI Programme manager was invited by REWU (Rwanda Extractive...
From informal trader to owner and manager of a mine
Mr Kwizera Bosco, 35 years old, started trading small manufactured products in Kunganzo centre, in Ngororero district (located within Gatumba historic concession) at the age of 16. In 2007, he started buying minerals illegally from the concession and other sites in...
ITSCI participates in the fight against COVID in the DRC
Already under threat from the economic shocks of the global crisis, protecting the health of ASM mining communities and stopping further disruption to their livelihoods is essential. Since the beginning of the pandemic, ITSCI has leveraged its extensive field network...
Joint tag management in South Kivu for greater transparency
In Numbi, management of ITSCI tags was a point of tension and suspicion. The concession owner SAKIMA, the mining company AMUR and the local cooperative COPAMIHANUBU were on one side, and state technical services SAEMAPE and Divimines were on the other. The presence of...
ITSCI’s Risk Awareness Radio Campaign in DRC
A radio campaign was launched in DRC broadcasting every month over 500 spots in both French and Swahili on 21 radio stations. In Maniema province’s Lubutu territory Hugo Assani Muloba, a host of “Umoja ya Lubutu” radio station, noticed the interest of his audience on...
ITSCI trains the National Steering Committee (NSC) in Burundi
In 2019, Burundi inaugurated its National Steering Committee for 3T Mineral Traceability and Due Diligence. The NSC follows the model established by ITSCI in neighbouring DRC, and is one of the recommendations from the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible...
PPA Delegation Visits ITSCI Sites in DRC and Rwanda
In December 2019, members of the Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade (PPA) had the opportunity to visit ITSCI mine sites in the Great Lakes region. Representatives of the U.S. government, PPA Secretariat, and downstream companies toured mines in the...
ITSCI member company participates in community improvements
Since it started operations in Muhanda, ITSCI member NL Mining Ltd has had a positive impact on the community through the eradication of illegal mining and Corporate Social Responsibility actions carried out in partnership with the local community and local...
ITSCI’s ‘25-minute chat’ with miners in DRC
When ITSCI expands to new areas, the team begins by establishing and training a local multi-stakeholder committee. In Bitale, ITSCI, accompanied by a delegation led by the Provincial Minister of Mines' Cabinet Director, trained 62 participants in April 2019. The...
Boosting local businesses and Bringing peace among clans
In the Pangi territory, the benefits of the ITSCI programme have transformed a decades-long local conflict. Since 1975, the Nbizu, Ngozi and Kayeye clans have been in a protracted land dispute. The clans disagreed about the boundaries between each community’s land in...
Sparking Growth in ITSCI Communities in Burundi
In July 2019, the Burundian government stressed the importance of the mining sector, which contributes more to the national economy than the traditional exports such as coffee and tea. ITSCI covers 155 sites in 21 communes in Burundi and directly employs at least...
Mobilisation campaign against child labour in Rwanda
In 2015, the United Nations established the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), composed of 17 goals aimed to be achieved by 2030. Under Goal 8, which promotes decent work and economic growth for all, target 8.7 calls for an end to child labour worldwide by 2025....