CURRENT PROJECT

Somos Tesoro

Date: 2013-2018

Country: Colombia, departments of Antioquia and Boyacá (8 municipalities in total)

Donor: United States Labour Department

Allies: Pact Colombia, Fondo Acción and Fundación Mi Sangre

Mission

“Somos Tesoro” is a leading project for the reduction of child labour in mining areas in Colombia, carried out by the consortium formed by Pact, Fondo Acción, Fundación Mi Sangre and the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM).

ARM focuses on improving the safety of mining practices and labour issues, while at the same time working towards the formalization of artisanal mining through technical assistance and advocacy on public policies.

Key achievements

To this day, ARM has achieved the following results:

  • We work with a large network of miners: 15 in the northeast of Colombia (Segovia and Remedios), 67 in Boyacá (Sogamoso, Gameza, Topaga and Mongua) and with “barequeros” in Lower Cauca (El Bagre and Zaragoza).
  • More than 3200 miners have participated in at least one project training.

  • More than 800 young people have participated in workshops on responsible mining and vocational guidance.

  • More than 60 public officials have participated in safety and child labor mining courses.

  • Self-care campaign in 8 municipalities which involved the miner and his family on diverse and original activities such as workshops with children, radio campaigns, community events, and sharing awareness-raising material.

  • Publications on formalization and security in Colombian small-scale mining, which have been disseminated at events where panels with experts were held.

  • Creation of a “Guide of practices and tools for the formalization of small-scale mining in Colombia” composed of 5 booklets (one on each aspect of formalization) and a glossary.

  • 4 pilot innovation projects proposed by the miners themselves.

  • Various activities such as trainings, workshops and visits to exchange experiences on issues of formalization, safety and child labour in exemplary mines and among gold panners.

  • 2 booklets developed with the Ministry of Labour of Colombia, one on mercury and the other one on the Occupational Health and Safety Management System  (SGSST).

  • Experience exchange trips to Peru where miners and public officials from both countries could talk about good mining practices.

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