Mining in Tanzania

We were invited to attend a seminar/ workshop on “Mining in Tanzania” in Dar es Salaam on 5 July, 2010. We learned of the many natural resources that are present in Tanzania: diamonds, gold, cobalt, copper, nickel, platinum, uranium, silver, tanzanite and coal. Mining is the fastest growing sector of the Tanzanian economy but the impact on the environment and the people in the area of the mines is not a positive one. The people are not against mining. They want the industry to grow but it should bring benefits to the people of Tanzania. It was a hard seminar to sit through as proud Canadians. A great many of the reports that were presented were about Canada’s Barrick Gold operations and the harm they are doing to the environment and the local people. It was stated that at one site the tailings pond had leaked and contaminated the ground water. Cattle died and people became very ill and some even died. Cyanide was found to be present in water samples. When the Barrick Corporation was told of this, they responded that the ponds were constructed properly but that the containment mats had been removed by local people, thus causing the leakage. Even if this were possible and true, should they not be responsible to clean up their mess and compensate the injured parties? To further add to our discomfort, we heard how the former Canadian High Commissioner to Tanzania is now working for Barrick Gold. While technically not a conflict of interest, because he waited the requisite one year after leaving his position, the optics are bad.

                                                                                   

We heard from a lawyer representing the Lawyers’ Environmental Action Team (LEAT) who had been imprisoned for speaking out about the damages done by Barrick. He was released on Christmas Day after some Canadians from Calgary got involved on his behalf. He was very passionate in his presentation and obviously wants to see stiffer regulations put upon the mining companies. Barrick Gold has the power and the resources to act in a responsible and humane way to make this right. We hope and pray they have the will to do so, for the good of the Tanzanian people.  Photo (Linda, Ron and John Mapesa, CCT HR Officer, listen intently)

On 6 July, we visited USAID and CIDA to talk to them about a Birthing Assistant Upgrade Course being proposed for the CCT Morogoro Women’s Training Centre. We are collaborating on this course with the director of the Training Centre and the Programme Officer, Women Development, Children and Gender department of the CCT. We also talked about a housing project tentatively called "Land for Life" which CCT is hoping to start with several partners, to benefit the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) of HIV/AIDS affected families. We’re still brainstorming this idea with Dr Ndezi of the Centre for Community Initiatives (CCI), Light Up The World and the HIV/AIDS department of CCT. Theresa Johannesma-Wood, formerly of Mortlach Sk, has kindly offered to do architectural drawings of Ron’s napkin sketches of a small house (350 sq ft).  Beneficiaries will be required to make some 3200 bricks from cement and clay-sand provided. We are anticipating delivering the homes, 1 acre of arable land, solar lighting and some livestock / chickens for around $2000.

We’re looking forward to going to the MS-TCDC in Arusha.  It is a Danish Training Centre for Development Cooperation, originally established in 1976 to prepare Danish volunteers for assignments in Eastern and Southern African countries.  Their mission was later expanded to include language training.  Many of the participants at the TCDC now come for Kiswahili courses.  Thanks to our sponsor, the United Church of Canada, that is what we will be doing, taking a beginner Kiswahili course.  It begins 26 July and ends 13 August.

The weather has been fine for us here.  It is Tanzania’s cold season and the temperature runs about 26-28C during the day and cools off a bit at night.  Although we hear it may be cooler at Arusha when we go for the language course.  We’re enjoying our time here and keeping busy.