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Needs assessmentMining communities of Luttwinja, Mukungwe, Ninja, and Nzibira, South Kivu DRC

Catholic Relief Services and the Commission on Natural Resources of the DRC Bishops’Conference01/10/2011

CERN, CRS - Needs assessment, South Kivu 10/211

Table of contents

Background

Methodology

Data analysisKey points of the assessmentOverviewEducationMining workMain challenges

Conclusion (key recommendations)

Acronyms

Summary of Key findings of the assessment

n e populations of the mining communities are poorer than the national average in terms ofincome and daily number of meals.

n Due to insecurity related to illegal exploitation of extractives, the large majority of households areunable to achieve food security.

n e mining communities are less developed economically. Use of advanced farming techniquesand access to extension services is extremely limited.

n At the same time, they are more dependent on subsistence agriculture to feed their families.

n e number of out-of-school youth is higher than the national average.

n Governance structures in mining communities are extremely weak and mechanisms for raisingand addressing violations and mediating conflict are absent.


Backgrounde abuses related to the illegal exploitation ofminerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC) are well documented. A strategy initiatedin Lusaka was developed to address them.However, the following events have underscoredthe urgent need to reform artisanal and small-scalemining:

n the decision of the end users in the US tostop importing minerals originating from theDRC in reaction to Section 1502 of theDodd–Frank Act

n the subsequent reduction of legal productionaffecting the small-scale mining sector, and

n the national elections and the internationalvisibility surrounding conflict minerals.

Much has been said about the Reform of artisanalmining and how it might have changed Kivueconomies, however, its effective impact on localcommunities has not really been assessed. en,following a series of consultations and visits in theKivus in 05/2011, 06/2011 and 07/2011, certainneeds were pre-identified in terms of livelihoods,education and reinforcement of the capacity ofcommunities to assert their rights and reportviolations in support of effective implementationof mining reforms.

At the same time, initiatives such as the Centre deNégoce (CdN) and International Security andStabilization Support Strategy (ISSSS) projects, aswell as the mobilization of international actors,including both private companies and publicdonors such as US International Agency forDevelopment (USAID), the World Bank andDepartment for International Development(DfID), offer opportunities for increased impactof development programming. To take advantageof these opportunities Catholic Relief Services(CRS) and the Commission on Natural Resourcesof the DRC Bishops’Conference (CERN), bothof which carrying out activities targeting miningcommunities and/or mine workers in South Kivu,decided to carry out an assessment and Walungu,which is also the most advanced Eastern area inimplementing the Mining Reform.

Objective

e objective of the assessment was to betterunderstand the living conditions of thepopulations in the mining areas of Walungu and,more specifically, to study the impact of miningactivities and of the Dodd-Frank Act on thepopulation to inform the development ofappropriate program interventions.

Methodologye assessment was carried out in three steps:

n Identification of the communities

n Development of the focus group guides,assessment teambuilding and training,presentation of the assessment to andmobilization of the communities andidentification of the focus groups and

n Information gathering, analysis andreporting.

e research took place from August to October2011 in communities (Luttwinja, Ninja, Nzibira,Mukungwe) located in the zone covered by theselling center (CdN) of Mugogo where mineralsfrom the mines are bagged and tagged before thecomptoirsI buy them. In three of the communities,mining is carried out on a small scale and in thefourth community (Luttwinja), on both a smalland industrial scaleII . Additional criteria wereapplied to help make the collected data morerepresentative including accessibility and presenceof CERN/CRS and its partners. us, the fourselected communities offered a representativesample and reflected the diversity of the differingcontexts. In the map on the following page, thearrow points to Walungu district center.

Two different discussion guides were developedfor the focus groups: an education and livelihoodsguide, and a mining activities guideIII . e guideswere developed by CRS and CERN, and wereshared with outside contributors familiar with thesmall-scale mining industry (such as USAID). e evaluation team was made up of four people:two people from the community selected by


CERN and the parish, one member from theCERN Observatory in Bukavu and one externalconsultant. e objective was to assemble a teamwith knowledge about the environment andmineral extraction issues as well as expertise infacilitation of focus groups. A training session infocus group methodology and a review of thediscussion guides was held in Bukavu.

Data was collected through individual discussionswith Village Chiefs and focus group discussions.Each focus group was arranged by gender and age(men, women, youth IV) and was composed of tenpeople. e three focus groups on minescontained four to five peopleV . Diversity andrepresentativeness were considered in creating thefocus groups. e following summary highlightsthe demographic composition of the focus groupparticipants:

n Village Chiefs: men average age: 53.

n Male focus group: average age: 49, variedpanel with small-scale miners, teachers,farmers, unemployed and social workers.

n Female focus group: average age: 33, largelyfarmers (and shopkeepers).

n Youth focus group: average age: 16, panelrelatively balanced between in-school youthand youth working in small-scale agriculture,at the mines or small business.

n Mining focus group: panel of men, womenand youth - all currently working in mines.


Total : 141 participants

e focus groups arranged by gender and age usedthe first discussion guide; and the mining focusgroups used the second. All topics were discussedwith the Village Chiefs.

Before the focus groups were held, there weremeetings with the Village Chief and thecommunity to explain the steps and the objectivesof the assessment and to identify people interestedin taking part in focus groups. e members of thefocus groups were selected by the assessment teamand the Village Chief from among those whoexpressed their interest.

e data gathered were consolidated and analyzedin two stages:

n Examination and initial analysis of data inBukavu in the presence of threerepresentatives of CERN VI, the CRS SeniorTechnical Advisor on Peacebuilding fromBaltimore, the external consultant and theCRS DRC consultant for Governance andExtractives

n e initial analysis was shared with internaland external participants including the CRSSenior Technical Advisor for Governanceand Civil Society based in Baltimore.

n Once refined, the analysis was consolidatedinto the final report.

Main Limitationsn Little and/or inconsistent quantitativeinformation on minerals issues. is is due to thelack of knowledge of the respondents (detailed in“Results and Recommendations”) and theirreluctance to answer some questions especiallythose on production and the income generatedfrom mining.

n e goal of the study was to gain a generalunderstanding of the situation; in this sense it

succeeded, but it also underlined the need torefine the analysis in certain areas.

Data analysis

Overview

Summary

n e migration balance of the miningcommunities is negative.

n e majority of departures are from theactive work force.

Detailed analysise size of households in the mining communitiesstudied is slightly lower (7.8 people per family)than the national average for rural areas (8.3).

e mining zones are areas of migration. us,60% VII of those surveyed have at least one memberof their family living in another community. Atthe community level, this migratory balance isnegative. e number of arrivals (5% on averageout of the four communities) is lower than thenumber of departures (up to 15% in thecommunity of Mukungwe), underlining the factthat mining communities are no longer centres ofattraction but a point of out migration towardsurban areas. e movement out of mining areasis primarily for economic reasons due to povertyVIII

- and young men account for 67% of themovement. ese young men generally are seekingemployment in urban centres while young womenoen move for marrying outside of theircommunities. For youth, the departures areassociated with the pursuit of secondaryeducation. A final reason given for leaving was forphysical insecurity IX (except in Luttwinja).

Like the departures, the arrivals are primarily male(60% to 70%). e men come to work in themines or in mining related occupations (ex. as amember of the new Mining Police in Ninja)X .

Women are less mobile than the men. is is


related to the socio-economic role of women, whoare responsible not only for householdmanagement, but also for agricultural work.Women were overrepresented in the communitiessurrounding the mines, because men leave hometo work in the mines. ose men who haveamassed enough savings leave the community tosettle (temporarily or permanently) in the city,leaving their wives and children behind.

In Luttwinja, migration is also related to therelocation caused by industrial mining. is typeof relocation has affected 200 families (1,560people) and another 280 are expected to berelocated (approx.: 7,9% of the population). evoluntary and compensated transfers are theobject of criticism from the local population.Many feel that the compensation paid by Banro XI

is lower than the actual value of the landtransferred. In addition, many relocated peoplecomplained that they no longer have any access toarable land for agricultural activities. isperception was disputed by the Village Chief, whosees Banro’s efforts as positive factor fordevelopment. e resulting conflict of opinionscreates a source of tension between the VillageChief and the members of the community.

Recommendations

n Promote alternative livelihood opportunitiesin mining communities.

n Improve the working conditions for miners.

n Support mediation efforts in Luttwinja toaddress the tension between the VillageChief and the community.

Education

Summary

n e main reason for low school enrollmentis poverty.

n Rate of primary school enrollment for girls ishigher than that of boys.

n School is not perceived as a promoter ofaccess to employment.

n Idle (inactive) youth are among the primarysources of instability.

Detailed analysis

Schools are present in significant numbers in allthe communities studied. XII ese schools werebuilt by the government, by humanitarian agenciesor as part of Banro’s Corporate Social Responsi-bility (CSR) policy. irty-nine percent (39%) ofthe elementary schools listed in the four commu-nities are on the perimeter of Luttwinja on theBanro concession. In this zone there is approxi-mately one school per 377 children XIII comparedto one school per 504 children in Nzibira.

Despite schools being accessible - within 45 mi-nutes walk at the most - the number of out-of-school children is significant. It is higher (37%according to the responders) than the national ave-rage XIV (25%) as well as the national average forpoor households (35%). In Ninja, according to therespondents, 60% of all households have at leastone out-of-school child.

e participants explained that the main reasonsfor low school enrollment were poverty (70%)XV,preference for working in the mines (11%) andlack of authority from parents vis-à-vis their chil-dren who see no benefits from going to school(17%). A hypothesis is that the situation is betterin areas that have a clear policy on child labor(Luttwinja) or when the mines are far away fromthe community (Ninja). 70% of the participantsin Mukungwe think that dropping out of schoolis a necessity (to contribute to the family income),whereas only 10% share this opinion in Luttwinjaand 65% in Ninja.

On average the ratio of school enrollment at theprimary level is favorable to girls, 53% girls vs. 47%boys, according to the participants. isdistribution is related to the causes of nonenrollment: poverty, the attraction of male youthto the mine and the low value placed oneducation. Indeed, children leave school because


parents cannot pay school fees and/or tocontribute to household income. In therelationships between drop-outs and poverty,menial jobs at the mineXVI, oen held by youngboys, are viewed as an immediate source of incomeand more attractive as a contribution to householdincome than work in the field carried out bywomen. Moreover, the low value placed oneducation is a negative factor particularly for boys.Attending school is not seen as a means ofachieving social status in the community. Lastly,the lack of adequate educational materials andsupplies for schools was cited as a major problemin all communities.

A middle school drop-out level is explained by thelack of qualified teachers (a fact noted by all thefocus groups). Teaching secondary school requiresa qualification which can only be acquired in thecity and the financial and social motivations toreturn are oen insufficient. Consequently, thosequalified to teach at the middle school level preferto remain in town and the posts of middle schoolteachers in rural communities are filled by primaryeducation teachers. is impacts the quality ofmiddle school education and drives many youth(about 17%) to leave their communities in orderto study or to leave school to work.

Distressingly, about 30% of out-of-school youthwere regarded as inactive, and idleness was citedin all communities as a source of instability.According to respondents, 21% of the peopleinvolved in the causes of insecurity were idleyouth. Moreover, idle youth were considered tobe more vulnerable to recruitment by armedforcesXVII.

Recommendations

n Facilitate access to education throughemergency assistance (school vouchers).

n Strengthen the quality of teaching and inparticular develop accelerated education foryounger students and vocational training forolder ones.

n Promote efforts to reduce child labor.

Livelihoods

Summaryn Daily income (1 USD) is lower than the

national average of poor families.

n Agriculture is the primary and preferredsource of income for families.

n Farming income is used to feed the familybut does not provide for other needs.

n Agriculture is not high-yield; most issubsistence agriculture and based ontraditional techniques.

n e potential to develop local agriculture andthe local economy is constrained by limitedaccess to land and the market.

n Confusion in applying the law in the absenceof mediation leads to land disputes.

n ere is considerable food insecurity andlimited coping mechanisms.

n e situation has mainly remainedunchanged and/or deteriorated.

n Small-scale mining does not benefit the localcommunities.

n Mining is an impediment to economicdevelopment.

n Industrial mining does not constitute a viablealternative without strenthening civicengement of the populations and establishingstate authority.

Detailed analysis

Mining communities are poorer than the nationalaverage. e participants in the focus groupsestimate that 80% of the population has a dailyincome of around 1 USD (very poor). enational average for a similar population is of 80%having a daily income of 2 to 2.5 USD (poor). isdifference is explained by the economic systemresulting from the unregulated exploitation ofnatural resources. e communities are isolatedbecause of the presence of armed groups in themining sites and of the lack of basic infrastructure.


e lack of infrastructure has a negative impact onthe ability to establish state authority. Withoutsecurity and an ability to rid the mines of armedgroups, communities will remain isolated andoptions for economic development extremelylimited. Even when a minimum level of stabilityis established the ability for savings, investmentand innovation remains unachievable in theabsence of significant external support.

Agriculture is the primary source of income formore than 80% of the families in the miningcommunities XVIII including industrial mining areas.Principle findings include:

n Farming is largely the work of women (morethan 90%) and traditionally women areresponsible for taking care of the basic needsfor the household. As explained in the focusgroups, this responsibility is morepronounced in the mining communities.Men, young men in particular, oen go tomining sites leaving women with the soleresponsibility for agricultural activities.Women have no option but to take on eventhe physically demanding work traditionallyreserved for men, such as field preparation.In the long run, this has resulted in a loss oftechnical skills among men. Even the youngmen who expressed a desire to acquireagricultural knowledge and skills – 50% ofmale informants stated that they wouldchoose agriculture if they had the choice –are no longer able to return to farming.Consequently, the role of women in the dailysurvival of the household takes on evengreater importance. It would be interestingto explore further whether this situation hasresulted in an elevation in the status andsociety’s perception of the value of women.

n e income generated by mining does notbenefit the family XIX or communitydevelopment. As work at the mine isperformed by men (more than 80%) oenfrom other regions, the profits generated arelargely used for immediate consumption:including alcohol and prostitution accordingto the focus groups. In the event of sizable

gains, earnings are used to support forrelocation to an urban centre. However, asnoted earlier, it is oen the men only whomove, leaving behind their families to fendfor themselves.

n Due to a lack of qualifications, the localpopulation does not have access to industrialmining jobs. As explained by the focusgroups in Luttwinja, initially localrecruitment was carried out. However, asjobs required more technically sophisticatedknowledge and skills, the demand for locallabor decreased, and locally recruited staffwere laid off. e resulting situation is asource of resentment.

Agriculture is the primary and preferred source ofrevenue for families XX (62.5% XXI) before smallbusiness (17.5%) and mineral exploitation(12.5%) - a finding that carried across all of thefocus groups. Informants mentioned during theexchanges that farming provided a reliable sourceof income, whereas the income from mining andsmall business was inconsistent. It was alsostressed that farming was not subject to illegaltaxation like mining.

A more thorough study shows slight differencesaccording to age and local opportunities. Forexample, agriculture holds less appeal to youngpeople, who have also suffered the most from theloss of agricultural skills, than to older people(especially the Chiefs) who see agriculture as thesafeguard of traditional values. For this reason,young people have been lured by petty commercein which they see a real professional potential.Agro-forestry is associated with farming in Ninja.Work at the mine comes second among males (thehighest score for this activity) especially atLuttwinja where men seek formal miningemployment.

Farming income is largely used to feed the family:75% (on average) and up to 95% in Ninja. enational average is 62%. e remaining share isused to pay school fees (on average 50%)XXII , andcover healthcare costs (more than 20%), as well asto purchase essential goods, including clothes(15%). Savings and investment opportunities are


extremely low or in many cases non existent. issituation is compounded by the isolation relatedto the presence of armed groups at mining sites(the exception being Luttwinja) and the lack ofinfrastructures especially in Nzibira and Ninja.Even with minimum level of stability and security(as is the case in Walungu) farming incomeremains insufficient to meet families’ needs.Farming revenue is oen supplemented bysecondary sources of income, mainly from mining-related activities such as mineral washing andtransportation, small shops and prostitution.

Given the contribution of farming as a source ofmeeting basic household needs, access to land is acrucial issue. According to respondents, onaverage, 93% of the population obtains landthrough inheritance or purchase. is averagereflects a relatively homogeneous reality. osewithout access to land are mainly the populationrelocated by Banro (approximately 8% of families).Even when access to land does not appear to be amajor constraint in the communities studied, itremains precarious. is is especially the case inMukungwe where 40% of families rent plots ofland. ey are mainly young married couples whodid not inherit and who cannot afford to purchaseland. Moreover, in the absence of clarity of landrights, as defined by national law versus customarylaw, land ownership can be disputed by VillageChiefs who invoke custom to claim mineral-richland. Recent examples were mentioned at thetime of the investigators’ visit in Mukungwe.Without clarification, this situation is likely tooccur again and again. e question of the accessto land for returnees has yet to pose significantchallenges. However, increased stability, andtherefore an increase in returns of displaced peopleis a potential source for future tensions.

e average size of a field is 1.7 ha XXIII , which issizable and offers opportunities for developingagriculture into a viable income-generatingactivity. Only 50% of land is farmed, however,because of the lack of sufficient and sufficientlyskilled labor and/or inputs, especially seedsresistant to mosaic disease in Mukungwe andNinjaXXIV .

ose without access to land rely on informalmining (13%) as their primary source of income.

is includes those displaced by Banro, as well asyoung people who could not afford to rent a plotof land (10% of families according to theparticipants). e displaced, living on a privateconcession, cannot buy land, and many youngpeople lack the financial capacity XXV to buy and/orthe farming skills to cultivate it XXVI.

e reported average number of meals/day was 1.3(national average: 1.64 to 2.1 XXVII) with 80% offood coming from the family plot, a phenomenonthat is reinforced in the most isolatedcommunities such as Nzibira and Ninja. estudy underlined the lack of diversity in the typeof foods consumed: largely manioc, sweet potato,bananas and beans. Meat and fish are scarce.Animals such as goats and cows are sold or tradedfor other goods but not eaten.

Insecurity and poverty are linked

- Due to the absence of locally producedessential goods, these goods are oen suppliedby outside traders. ey will sometimes stopdelivering supplies due to insecurity. ismeans that supplies that do make it to thelocal markets oen come with a higher price.

- Limited access and isolation preventscommunities from selling their agriculturalproduce or, in some cases, selling at a price farbelow what the market would attract. esituation further reduces their buying powerand ability to purchase essential goods.

- Poverty leads to insecurity. Informantsattributed 21% of the insecurity to idle youngpeople who had turned to petty crime,bandity and/or were recruited by illegalarmed forces due to the lack of viable rurallivelihood opportunities.

- e economic system resulting fromuncontrolled exploitation of naturalresources, as well as the presence of mineralsand isolation of communities attractingarmed groups reinforces community isolationdue to the lack of infrastructures as well asinsecurity.


e goods produced but not consumed are soldon the local market (approximately 90%) ortraded in the community for goods bought byothers on the local market. All communities haveaccess to a market (1 to 1.45 hours walk). eability to reach a market in the course of the dayis an opportunity to stimulate farm productionand local economic activity, but in many areascontinuing or sporadic insecurity continues tohamper the regular movement of both goods andpeople to and from markets. In Luttwinja andMukungwe, which have easier access to theprovincial capital, the Bukavu market does offeran option for the sale of domestic farmingproduction (18%) and the purchase of goods.Lastly, 11% of those surveyed said that they soldtheir production at mining sites.

Looking at a broader perspective, in thecommunity of Luttwinja where family income hasincreased in the past two years, 28% ofparticipants attributed this improvement toimproved security. In communities wherehousehold income has remained constant or hasdecreased (Nzibira, Ninja and Mukungwe), 71%of participants blamed the increased poverty oninsecurity. Other factors cited were the lack ofprofessional opportunities, especially for youth,and the reduction of mining activities, followingthe presidential ban of 2010 or the Dodd-FrankAct and the decision of US end users to stopimports originating from the DRC, thus reducingsecondary incomes.

Also in Luttwinja, 66% of those surveyed thatcited improvement in their income; this wasattributed to improved security resulting from thepresence of Banro’s guards and the infrastructuresbuilt by the company to facilitate exchanges.

Overall, the unreliable access to food supply dueto the various factors noted above related toinsecurity and the resulting limited movement ofgoods and people, as well as farming capacity andlack of access to more productive agricultureinputs and extension services, leave populations ina situation of food insecurity with limitedcapacities to cope.

Recommendations

n Revitalize agriculture (technical and agro-diversity).

n Develop alternative sources of employmentand income.

n Reinforce professional skills, in particular foryouth.

n Develop the use of multifaceted approaches:saving, knowledge of the market, groupmanagement, appropriate technologies andnatural resource management.

n Revisit land rights and seek consistency intheir application.

n Awareness raising/mediation to solve andprevent land conflicts related to minerals.

n Respond to the security issue as a driver ofdevelopment.

Mining work

Summary

n It should be noted that the results arecharacterized by a lack of quantifiedinformation.

n Conflict minerals (cassiterite, wolframite,gold, coltan) are exploited in the assessmentarea.

n Mining is carried out mostly by men.

n ere is a marginal presence of children at themining sites.

n ere is no public awareness or knowledge ofthe Mining Code.

n ere are numerous unreported violations ofthe Mining Code and other applicable laws.


Detailed analysis

e minerals exploited in the communitiesstudied include gold (exclusively in Luttwinja),cassiterite, wolframite and coltan. Mining sitesinclude: Zolaaola, Cirabagiro, Bushushu,Mahamba, Katanga, Kabingo (Nzibira),Twangiza, Mwana, Namuna, Lulimbahwe,Lukunguri, Mbwenga, Cinjora, Alugunda,Kaduma, Bugumya (Luttwinja), Lukoma, Ndufe,Muhinga, Mushisha, Kamahya, Kanoso,Kalungwe, Makalunga, and Cigwara (Ninja).

Mining is the work of men for the most part(80%) and they are mainly from indigenouscommunities. e exception is Mukungwe wherea majority of workers come from Bukavu. Laboris mainly unskilled and consists of digging,draining, siing, transportation (85%) andtrading. e main occupations for women includeminerals transportation, washing minerals, smallbusinesses such as restaurants and prostitution. Itis estimated that approximately 10% of peopleworking in the mines are childrenXXVIII. One-thirdof the children are involved in washing andminerals transportation. e study could notestablish whether they were school-aged childrenwho had le school or children working at themine in addition to schooling, which appeared tobe the case.

In the absence of consistent data on mineralsproduction and price, it was not possible toanalyze this element of the research.

e object of the assessment was not to study theformalization of the mining sector, so researchersdid not ask questions about holding miningpermits/small-scale mining zones. Instead theysought to measure the level of knowledge of themineral sector of the population.

In general, the knowledge of those surveyed whowere not engaged in mining work, was extremelylimited. us, the role of the trader and comptoiris not understood. is ignorance extends to theMining Code and the Dodd-Frank Act, whichonly one participant knew about - the VillageChief in Luttwinja. e Centres de Négoce(CdN) initiative is unknown, as is the CERN

Observer; and bagging and tagging is notpracticed except by Banro. On the other hand, theService d’Assistance et d’Encadrement du SmallScale Mining (SAESSCAM) and CommissionDiocésaine Justice et Paix (CDJP) werementioned by all. e lack of knowledge ofmineral trade is partly explained by the fact thatthe relationship between the local population andminerals stops when the latter leaves the mine.Extracted minerals are sold to the trader and nofurther benefit is accrued to the small-scale miner.Mineral trade is carried out in Bukavu. At thesame time, we noted early signs of theformalization of the small-scale mining industry.For example, cooperatives were identified inMukungwe and Nzibira. e reinforcement ofthese community-based structures also constitutesa potential model for the development ofeconomic governance.

Summary of benefits and costsof small-scale mining onindustrial concessions

Benefits• Better security.• Better developed infrastructures.• Increased assurance of preventing child

labor. • Better compliance with the law within

the framework of small-scale mining.Costs• Smaller field size• No access to industrial employment due

to lack of knowledge.• Little distribution of economic benefits

to the larger population.• Conflict of interests among those res-

ponsible for government oversight.• Risk of substitution for the responsibi-

lities of the state and a resulting negativeimpact on the establishment of state au-thority.


Chiefs are the main owners of the pits, except inLuttwinja where Banro owns all of the pits butfour, which belong to the population. Security inthe mines is assured by various bodies, accordingto the communities. e Forces Démocratiquesde Libération du Rwanda (FDLR) control themines of Ninja, along with a nominal presence ofthe mining police; Banro guards protect theconcession; and mining police and the ForcesArmées de RDC (FARDC) are present atMukungwe and Nzibira. Some participantsconfuse the FARDC and the mining police.

e violations reported by the members of thefocus groups were numerous and largely related tooperating conditions and the absence ofregulations, which resulted in violence and workerinjuries. e collection of illegal taxes for pitaccess and exportation by unofficial agents, suchas armed groups or owners, or by governmentofficials were widely reported. Prostitution, femaleas well as male, was also considered to be prevalent.e participants were unaware of where to reportabuses. e Village Chiefs and the CDJP Bukavunevertheless were cited as points of reporting.

Recommendations

n Establish and/or reinforce the structures forraising grievances.

n Increase the population’s knowledge of theMining Code and other laws.

n Develop private-public partnerships topromote local economic development.

n Strengthen the institutional capacity of stateservices responsible for enforcing the MiningCode, labor law, etc.

n Develop child protection initiatives.

n Complete the mining reform as a means ofimproving the quality of resourcegovernance.

n Support the implementation of an effectivemonitoring system, promoting transparencyin small-scale mining in the DRC.

Main challenges

Summary

n Poverty

n Restoration of security

n Non-compliance with the rights provided bythe Mining Code

Detailed analysis

For half of the participants the main challenge ispoverty. Asked to describe what they meant bypoverty, their answers included the inability to setaside enough seeds to secure future production,lack of employment especially for young people,displacement of population to seek betteropportunities elsewhere, taking children out ofschool due to the inability to pay for school fees.

e second challenge is that of insecurity(28%)XXIX. Insecurity is linked to the presence ofthe FARDC (42%) and illegal armed groups(21%), to young people without employment(21%), to the payment of illegal taxes, or tocriminality. Only in Luttwinja has the securitysituation improved due to the recruitment ofprivate guards by the company. Idle young peopleare more vulnerable to criminality andrecruitment by armed forces XXX, which affects theirown security and that of the community and cangenerate tensions later on. us, the question ofthe reintegration of the demobilized wasmentioned as a challenge to social cohesion:demobilized young people were oen rejected andreintegration was oen possible only in anothercommunity.

Informants also cited the non-compliance bymines owner and state representatives withrespecting the rights set out in the Mining Code.

It is interesting to note that on the question ofchallenges, answers varied according to thecategory of people surveyed. e Village Chiefshad a broader perspective and oen experiencedtrouble prioritizing, while the youth of threecommunities (Ninja, Luttwinja and Mukungwe)expressed a very clear priority for poverty.


International NGOs are present, but ininsufficient number to effectively support localcommunities’ developement. ey includeInternational Rescue Committee (IRC),International Committee of the Red Cross(ICRC), Matheser and World Vision. UNChildren’s Fund (UNICEF) and World FoodProgramme (WFP) also work in the area. Some ofthe national NGOs are CARITAS, Adamer,Zipad and Antibuaki. Activities focus onchildren’s rights and protection, roadreconstruction, agricultural projects and SGBVprevention. e participants surveyed explainedthat this support had limited impact because itdoes not answer the communities’ specific needs.

In general, in three out of four communities, 73%of respondents explained that there had been noreal change in their living conditions. On theother hand, 66% of the participants of Luttwinjafeel that their situation has improved. is findingconfirms information on the rise of family incomeand is attributed to the building of schools androads as part of Banro’s CSR activities. It also maybe attributable to the presence of Banro’s privatesecurity forces which have been able to keep localarmed groups largely at bay. However, discussionsrevealed potential areas of conflicts of interestbetween Banro and the authorities, or ofsubstitution by Banro for the state assumingresponsibility for delivering basic services, securityand monitoring of mining operations.Discussions with the Village Chief and in focusgroups also revealed dissensions between theChief, who supports Banro, and the communitieswho understand the potential advantages of themine but are less convinced about who benefitsand how.

Recommendations

n Develop economic recovery initiatives,especially revitalizing agriculture.

n Build the capacities of local authorities.n Continue initiatives focused on establishing

effective security.n Facilitate the reinsertion of demobilized

youth, in particular by individual andcommunity assistance to professionaltraining and social reintegration.

Conclusion (key recommendations)n Develop economic recovery initiatives

especially the revitalization of agriculture.n Adopt a multifaceted approach (innovation,

market, loan, group management).n Develop alternative sources of employment

and income.n Reinforce education access and quality in

general and develop vocational training inparticular.

n Finalize mining reform as a means ofimproving governance and regulatoryenforcement.

n Support the implementation of an effectivemonitoring system to promote transparencyin the small-scale mining industry in theDRC.

n Increase knowledge of the communities of theMining Code and other laws.

n Strengthen government oversight of themines and its institutional capacity to fightchild labor.

n Set up structures of mediation for landconflicts relating to mineral exploration andexploitation.

n Establish and/or reinforce referral structuresfor violations.

n Develop a private-public partnership for localeconomic development.

n Build the capacities of local authorities.n Continue initiatives focused on establishing

effective security.


Acronyms

CDJP Commission Diocésaine Justice et PaixCdN Centre de NégoceCERN Commission Episcopale sur les Ressources NaturellesCSR Corporate Social ResponsibilityCRS Catholic Relief ServicesDfID Department for International DevelopmentFARDC Forces Armées de RDCFLDR Forces Démocratiques de Libération du RwandaI4S Initiative for Security and Stabilization Support Strategy IRC International Rescue CommitteeICRC International Committee of the Red CrossSAESSCAM Services d’Assistance et d’Encadrement du Small Scale MiningSGBV Sexual and Gender Based ViolenceUNICEF United Nations Children’s FundUSAID US International Agency for DevelopmentWFP World Food Programme

Picture on the front page: - Le: A man holds up cassiterite (tin ore) that was dug at the Bisyié mine, North

Kivu, DRC, Lane Hartill, 03/04/2011- Right: Cassiterite, South Kivu (Lemera), DRC, Lane Hartill, 25/06/2009


I Registered exporters which buy minerals from the selling center, trader and/or miner.II In this case, only the small-scale component was considered.III Because of the sensitivity of mining it was decided to spread the collection of data on this

subject within a more suitable framework (restricted).IV 10 to 20 years old.V Of both sexes and various ages selected among previous focus group participants, on the basis

of volunteering, representativeness and interest in mining issues.VI Including two representatives of the Observatory who participated in the survey.VII Ninja and Mukungwe.VIII 58%. Poverty is the only factor mentioned among the three chief reasons for departure in all

communities.IX 20%.X e assumption is that these arrivals are linked to the formalization of the small-scale mining

sector. XI International extractives company present in South Kivu (Luttwinja is based on their

concession).XII Within 2 hours walking distance, there are 13 elementary/4 high schools in Nzibira, 14

elementary/7 high schools in Mukungwe, 19 elementary/10 high schools in Ninja and 30elementary/12 high schools in Luttwinja.

XIII Calculations were established on the basis of 25% of households being primary school agechildren.

XIV National data taken from the Poverty Reduction Strategy (dra2, 2011).XV e percentage reflects the participants’ answers in each category.XVI Mineral washing and transportation.XVII See Main Challenges.XVIII Up to 94% in Ninja. No quantitative data in Luttwinja where the focus groups stressed the

fact that farming was the main source of income for most families.XIX See small-scale mining for a presentation of work at the mine.XX Agriculture was first in the four focus groups and among the Village Chiefs.XXI e percentage reflects the participants’ responses in each category.XXII Up to 75% in Mukungwe.XXIII e size of a plot is relatively inferior in Luttwinja/Banro concession than in small-scale

mining communities.XXIV e environmental impact of industrial mining was underlined by respondents in Luttwinja

and Mukungwe.XXV To access land and seeds.XXVI Lack of knowledge of cultures.XXVII DRC UNDP Report, 2010.XXVIII No children in the Banro mine.XXIX e percentage reflects the participants’ responses in each category.XXX is observation has been mentioned abundantly, without however any quantitative estimate.

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