One of the reasons that I love my job so much is that it takes me to places that I would otherwise never have the opportunity to experience. The Migori Gold Mine is one of those places.

Located close to the Tanzania border and within reach of Lake Victoria, Migori is home to numerous gold independent prospectors.

Gold mining is a below the radar activity for most prospectors; Government regulation is scant and life for the miners themselves is extremely arduous and often dangerous.

Vast amount of ore rock is hauled up from pits deep under the ground; the ore is then crushed – mostly by hand – and turned to a fine dust that is again manually processed to produce tiny amounts of gold.  The work itself is intense, artisan and, more often than not, undertaken without appropriate protection for the workers. Mercury is often used in the final stages of extraction.

But the Micodepro Project in Migori is a little different. It is currently applying for Fair Trade status which will significantly improve working practice, guaranteeing appropriate incomes for the workers and to improve safety for all across the site.

In short, it means that the gold they produce should be free of exploitation for all concerned.