Foundation HELP News

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In May this year, the Barrick Gold Mine in the Mara Region was accused of pouring toxic water into the Tigite River. This has devastated the lives of villagers in the district of Tarime, who depend on the river for their survival. According to village reports, a few cows died after drinking the water. Vegetation such as millet, maize and sorghum had dried up and trees along the riverbank had disintegrated. Some villagers reported skin irritations after coming into contact with the water and some even claimed dead fish was found. “My dog has a skin irritation caused by that water. My cows died and nobody dared to eat the meat because we were scared we would get infected or die” Moringe Tagara of Nyarwana Village claimed.
 

Foundation HELP Executive Director Chacha Wambura who has visited the area several times stated, “We had the opportunity to visit the affected areas, where the water had spilled. If the area is contaminated, definitely the yields will also be contaminated.” Wambura also warned that “contaminated food is worse than inhaled substances.” So if local reports of dead fish are true, “livelihoods would be jeopardized.” The event would also have “long-term impacts on the environment” since the toxic chemicals in the pond water would be “very difficult to clean up and therefore would stay in the environment for many years.”

Canadian company, Barrick Gold is the world’s number one gold producer, but is also widely believed to be one of the most notorious when it comes to environmental damage. But on his side Barrick Gold Tanzania spokesman Teweli Teweli dismissed the allegations claiming that there was not enough scientific evidence to prove that the deaths were caused by pollution from the mine. He stated that work to intercept and divert water from the mine from reaching waterways nearby, were already underway. He claimed, “To avoid seepage, the ponds are lined with a special PVC plastic liner material laid at the base. However, the liner material was damaged and compromised by thieves.”
 
Villagers believed that not enough was carried out in order to resolve the issue while human rights activists demanded the government to immediately close down the mine until a full analysis of the water had been conducted. After a slow reaction from the government, Member of Parliament for Kyela, Dr Harrison Mwakyembe called on the government to close down the Barrick Gold Mine, describing it as a “public health disaster.”
 
Following an investigation into allegations by officials, the Tanzanian government eventually banned the use of water from the Tigite River on the 10th of June. By late June however, according to local villagers, up to 20 people and over 200 cattle had died.
 
 The issue still continues to affect Mara communities however. Foundation HELP interviewed residents recently in villages such as Kewanja, Nkerege, Matongo, Nyangototo, Nyarwana. Issack Kibisa of Nyangoto village complained, “This river is the only source of water for us. Barrick Gold forced us out of jobs in their mines and then they finished us by pouring toxic chemicals in our river to kill us.” Others such as Ester Nyamhanga have to turn to other sources often far to reach and just as polluted. “I have to walk 12 kilometers to Mara River to fetch water. My children have to help me so I cannot even let them go to school. I cannot afford to buy water. One bucket of water has risen from 200 Tsh to 1000 Tsh” she complained.
 
If issues like the Barrick Gold crisis continue to happen without swift government action, livelihoods will persistently be put at risk. Foundation HELP is working to help resolve such issues.

Welcome!

2009 marks Foundation HELP’s 10th Year Anniversary and we are proud to introduce to the first news updates focusing our work in Mara region and beyond which will be produced on a an ongoing basis.

Foundation HELP focuses on empowering marginalised communities and raising the socio-economic status of poor and marginalised communities in the Mara region in Tanzania, through a right-based approach for holistic, transformational and sustainable development. Our scope of work focuses on public policy advocacy on health, gender equality, education, water and sanitation, housing and environmental conservation.

The aim of this blog is to inform our stakeholders and supporters of the projects and activities Foundation HELP is undertaking, as well as of the significant issues that affect communities living in the Mara region.