On 27 January 2023, the closing ceremony of the project “Foundations for Peace in the Artisanal Gold Mining Sector in Burkina Faso” was held.
The workshop provided an opportunity to share the results obtained during the implementation of the project, to share the opinions and testimonies of the beneficiaries and to discuss the lessons learned, challenges and perspectives.
As a reminder, the Foundations for Peace project is implemented by the Canadian NGO IMPACT in partnership with the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) and funded by Global Affairs Canada (MAC). It has been running for 2 years.
The workshop was attended by representatives of state structures, civil society organisations, EMAPE umbrella organisations and beneficiaries. The participation of the beneficiaries and community volunteers made it possible to identify in a practical way certain aspects of the support given to the village savings and loan associations (VSLAs) for the financial inclusion and economic empowerment of the artisanal mining communities concerned. The beneficiaries testified to the importance of the project and the achievements that the project has allowed them to make. They are still seeking assistance from the partners for a second phase of the project.
Abdoul Razak Nikiema (intern)
