Our History

Foundation for ASM Development (FADev) is an independent Non-Governmental Organisation established to catalyse multi-stakeholder dialogue, knowledge sharing and collaboration. The Organisation intends to:

1. Promote formal and legal Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) operations through well designed support mechanism in Tanzania
2. Ensure environmentally and socially responsible ASM activities in Tanzania
3. Promote active and meaningful participation of women in ASM activities
4. Support productive and sustainable business development within and away from ASM, and
5. Promote inclusive and ongoing participatory multi-stakeholder dialogue and institutional empowerment for inclusive policy and practice decision making

Vision

To attain a responsible, inclusive and sustainable Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) sector.

Mission

To serve as a centre of knowledge, dialogue, communication, partnership and execution to align this impoverished and vulnerable sector with national priorities and sustainable development agendas.

Context Scoping: Following its participation in the International Institute for Environment and Development’s (IIED) Ghana ASM dialogue, HakiMadini (a Tanzanian organisation active in the mining sector) prepared a background document on Tanzanian ASM. HakiMadini in collaboration with IIED held a knowledge and experience sharing visit to Arusha and Dar es Salaam in September 2016. The aim of the visit was to engage with government, mining community and civil society and understand the general context in relation to ASM policy, practice and perceptions.

Background Research: The experience sharing visit was followed by a background research that would inform the dialogue. Following a tender process, MTL Consulting based in Dar es Salaam carried out the research. The researchers documented evidence on ASM in Tanzania using both primary research and a review of secondary data and the findings were reviewed by a Research and Evidence Reference Group (RERG) ensuring the relevance, fact-proof and quality of the research. ASM stakeholders consulted included PML operators, mining communities, ASM associations including women’s groups, service providers, civil society organisations, government agencies at regional, district and village levels involved with mining and related sectors, the media and academia.

Pre-dialogue Engagements: Following a tender process, HakiMadini was appointed as Dialogue Convenor and in collaboration with IIED and MTL Consulting conducted uni/bi-stakeholder engagements in May 2017 in Mirerani, Geita, Dodoma and Dar es Salaam. In the engagements, findings from the preliminary research were shared; as well, participants identified key challenges, priorities and possible solutions, and commented on the design of the dialogue.

Thematic Dialogues: IIED in partnership with HakiRasilimali (a local platform of CSOs on extractives), conducted a series of thematic dialogues in Arusha and Mwanza in September 2017. The dialogues comprised of miners, supply and value chains actors, communities, mining associations, trade union, women’s association, academics, civil society organizations and ward level government officials. Thematic dialogues helped to identify actionable solutions, with clear roles and responsibilities by multiple stakeholders in the sector. The background research, a series of stakeholder engagements and thematic dialogues together formed a pre-dialogue body of knowledge that informed the National ASM Dialogue.

National ASM Action Dialogue: IIED in collaboration with HakiMadini, MTL Consulting, Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and COWI held a Tanzanian national ASM dialogue event in Geita, Tanzania on November 7 – 10, 2017. The dialogue was officiated by the Geita Regional Commissioner. About 90 representatives of multi-stakeholder groups participated in the event which started with two days visiting field sites to learn and share experiences. This was followed by a formal dialogue in the form of a two-day solution-oriented workshop. Based on suggested solutions from the pre-dialogue activities, the participants worked on and set out immediate actions for each of five ‘solution pillars’ – namely, land and licence; businesses; environment, health and safety; markets; and women in ASM.

The Tanzanian ASM stakeholders that convened at the national dialogue generated key elements under each of the five ‘solution pillars’, which were used to develop a Roadmap for a Tanzanian ASM reform.

A national Learning and Leadership Group (LLG) was formed to advise on the Roadmap process and drive forward the ASM reform solutions agreed at the national dialogue. The LLG is hosted by FADev which is registered to provide a formal and institutional governance structure to the LLG. FADev acts on its strategic objectives while continuously engaging with the Ministry of Mines, Minerals Commission and other authorities.

Please, visit our website to learn more of our work and join forces with us and other stakeholders to make a strong, vibrant and progressive ASM sector in Tanzania.