The implementation of the CRAFT code in the Democratic Republic of Congo is generating lasting transformations and concrete improvements in safety, health and sustainability.
In July 2023, the Tujenge program supported the committed Nia-Nia mining sites (Mambasa, Ituri, DRC) in setting up environmental occupational health and safety (OHS) committees. These committees are structures that identify and assess critical risks, establish mitigation measures and carry out ongoing monitoring at each mining site.
Miners with Personal Protective Equipment, Bafwanakengele, June 2024, ARM
Their proactivity has enabled them to launch an innovative initiative of monthly mining parades to raise awareness of these operational and environmental risks. This activity not only promotes a culture of safety, but also fosters a safer, more responsible working environment.
In addition, this committee, in collaboration with several consortium organizations, has coordinated the delivery of essential health and safety equipment to the Ngayo Congo mining cooperative to ensure that it has the resources it needs to maintain a safe working environment.
Construction of the mercury house, Bafwanakengele, July 2024, ARM
Finally, in July 2024, these committees initiated the creation of Mercury Houses to reduce mercury emissions at mining sites while respecting good practices related to its use, as recommended by the Minamata Convention.
On the way to sustainable transformation
In October 2024, following a workshop on an investment plan to improve working conditions, the cooperative decided to finance and undertake the installation of submerged electric pumps in mine pits, as an example of responsible practice to be replicated to mitigate the risks of collapse and asphyxiation on site.
This new initiative is a key indicator of the changes in the cooperative’s behavior and its confidence in the formalization process undertaken with the CRAFT code.
Training on occupational and environmental risks at a mining parade, Bafwanakengele, March 2024, ARM
About the project
USAID’s Eastern Congo Development Partnership Program, Tujenge, made possible by the support of the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is a five-year program targeting the city and territory of Beni (North Kivu) and the territory of Mambasa (Ituri). The program works with a variety of stakeholders, including local authorities, communities, civil society organizations, community-based organizations, government actors, and the private sector, to achieve common goals for sustainable development and lasting peace.
To find out more about the results of the operation, you can view the timeline here.