📍Tarime, Mara: Minister for Minerals, Mr. Anthony Mavunde has launched a gold mining project for youths, women and people with disabilities by granting small-scale mining licenses as part of the Mining For a Brighter Tomorrow (MBT) Program.
He launched the project on May 03, 2025 at the Ingwe Secondary School grounds in Nyamongo, Tarime District, Mara Region, where he has issued 48 small-scale mining licenses to more than 2000 beneficiaries, including youths, women and people with special needs.
Speaking at the event, he said, the Ministry of Minerals has completed preparations for the MBT Program which will be implemented over a five-year period from 2025 to 2030.
The program is a transformational program for the Mining Sector which has been established to address challenges and improve opportunities for women, youth and people with special needs to increase the participation of these groups in the mining value chain.
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the President, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan who gave us instructions to ensure that youth, women and those with special needs fully participate in mining activities.
I commend the Barrick North Mara Mine for issuing Licenses to 13 Villages which will be accompanied by technical assistance to over 2000 youth who will benefit from this project.
This event will help to eliminate negative relations between the North Mara mine and the people surrounding the mine who were seen several times attacking the mine.
This historic project and the first to be carried out in the country between the government, the Mine and the people surrounding the mine, has attracted significant participation from stakeholders such as the World Bank (WB) and the World Gold Council (WGC) who have shown commitment to supporting its implementation”, said Mavunde.
The General Manager of the North Mara Mine, Engineer Apolinary Lyambiko said the issuance of the Licenses aims to strengthen good relations with the community surrounding the mine.
Tarime Rural MP Mr. Mwita Waitara has congratulated the government and the mine for this project which will provide many jobs for the youth of Tarime and asked the government to help with the availability of capital to run mining activities.
Mara Regional Commissioner, Colonel Evance Mtambi has commended Minister Mavunde for the way he is helping the people of Mara especially in the Mining Sector area where he said the efforts of the Minister are visible in practice and requested that the youth be empowered so that they can mine productively.
Colonel Mtambi has asked Minister Mavunde not to stop at the issuance of licenses only but also to look into the issue of technical assistance and capital to enable the miners to work productively.
The President of the Federation of Small-scale Miners Associations of Tanzania (FEMATA), Mr. John Bina has congratulated Minister Mavunde for launching the project and urged the youth, women and those with special needs to work together and avoid unnecessary conflicts.
