Aminata’s hopes

It’s still dark when Aminata* wakes up. This night, as is often the case, was short and unbearably hot. She kept her newborn baby close to her, nursing from time to time. The regular breathing of her other children, all lying beside her and lined up on old worn mats, kept her awake for a 

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Mine site rehabilitation

From a sustainable development perspective, and ultimately from a development perspective, the aspect of mine site rehabilitation is crucial. When you visit a former artisanal gold mining site, but also semi-mechanized and industrial mine site, even if the challenges are sometimes different, you quickly understand how crucial it is. In West Africa, the mining sites 

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Justin the artisanal miner part 2

What can we do about Justin the artisanal miner ? I appreciate everyone’s feedback on the article about “Justin” the artisanal miner. First of all, let me say that “Justin” is obviously a fictional young person that painfully and honestly depicts the harsh reality of thousands of young boys and girls across Africa (I am 

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The Formalization of Artisanal Gold Mining

When I (Etienne) started working in artisanal mining in West Africa, artisanal gold mining was seen, by international and government agencies, as a problem that had to be eradicated at all costs. As a result, the world of artisanal gold mining had to remain anonymous and informal, they didn’t fit current frameworks… Today things have 

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