In a perfect world, we wouldn’t use any of the earth’s unrenewable resources for our needs. However, since this is impossible, we must limit any environmental impact we make while optimizing the greatest social good.
The Heart of Mine founding team has witnessed first-hand the harm especially done by inhumane working conditions in gold mining operations, which consistently employ women and children to work in appalling settings.
Furthermore, the use of harsh chemicals, especially in the gold mining sector, poses a huge systemic threat to the communities and the world through its wide use and contamination.
This is why we knew a change was needed and have proudly initiated The Heart of Mine Foundation, an entity dedicated to improving the lives and the land of mining communities worldwide and all the extending ecosystems affected.
Besides its efforts to clean up the artisanal mining environments, Heart of Mine is also partnering with NGOs focusing on a wide range of short-term and long-term initiatives to help the vulnerable while treating mercury poisoning induced by these activities.
ProKids provides support to young single mothers interested in changing their lives by working in safer environments with sustainable regular earnings. Heart of Mine supports the efforts of ProKids in the Ivory Coast with various programs that encompass technical training for women and children in various endeavors.
Bii solves the paradox that 30% of food production is wasted. Bii is a social enterprise that fights against food waste & food insecurity by redistributing unused groceries to children in need.
Heart of Mine supports Bii in redistributing the unsold food items from point of sales to orphanages in the Ivory Coast. Heart of Mine also participates in Bii’s fundraising activities, building programs linked to CO2 capture (preventing waste, methane, and CO2), and developing a mobile app that will streamline the efforts to connect food sources and the eventual destinations.
Heart of Mine shares planetGOLD’s vision to make small-scale gold mining safer, cleaner, and more profitable. The two entities are exploring a lasting partnership with other specialty NGOs to provide a commercially sustainable solution. HoM was recently invited by planetGOLD to present its Mercury Eradication program, highlighting its efforts to comply with the SDG objectives outlined by the United Nations.
The Cinderella Program was launched in 2022, and the first graduating class has finally arrived! Read more about it here .
Heart of Mine participated in a conference about the eradication of mercury held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
An incredible event was held this Christmas, organized by Bii Ivory Coast. We were honoured to be there to help out. Our COO even participated as Santa Claus! Click here to read more.
Coeur de Mine is pleased to announce its second partnership in the Ivory Coast. This time it’s with NGO Pro-kids Côte d’Ivoire. Click here to read more.
The Heart of Mine family is pleased to announce its partnership with Bii Côte d’Ivoire to help it in its struggle to eliminate food waste! This initiative fits perfectly into our mission to improve the quality of life in the communities of gold miners.
Heavy metals like Mercury and Arsenic are becoming one of the globe’s most serious health problems. In this article, it has been found one entire European country is contaminated with these heavy metals. Click here to read more.
The Coeur de Mine Inauguration day was covered by the local TV stations. Here is an enthusiastic report (in French) about the day’s event
The latest GoldFinX newsletter was dedicated almost exclusively to Heart of Mine. We have a great team spanning out over many disciplines, and we all cheer for each other. Click on the picture to read all about it.
Media coverage for Coeur de Mine (CdM) in the Ivory Coast is gaining lots of steam. The local and international communities will greatly benefit by the much-needed efforts of the CdM team. Read article (in French).
“Mercury is considered as one of the top ten chemicals or groups of chemicals of major public health concern.”
Over 2000 tonnes of mercury are released each year into the environment from small gold mines to produce only 600 tonnes of all the gold globally, thus creating the single largest source of man-made mercury emission on Earth.
Mercury intoxication manifests in neurological, kidney, and autoimmune impairment. Systemic absorption of elemental mercury via the lungs causes vomiting, headache, fever, and diarrhea. Even chronic, lower-level exposure to elemental mercury causes tremors and neuropsychiatric symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, anorexia, depression, and memory problems.
Human exposure occurs mainly through inhalation of elemental mercury vapors during industrial processes and contaminated fish and shellfish consumption. Fish-eating communities often report profound disturbances in motor and mental development from newborns.
High amounts of mercury can lead to long-term and sometimes permanent neurological changes. The dangers are especially notable in young children who are still developing. Adults with mercury poisoning may have permanent brain and kidney damage.
The United Nations’ goals are ambitious, and here are the ones that Heart of Mine directly impact.
GOOD HEALTH AND WELL-BEING: Providing mobile health care through our Doctors on Wheels initiative to address health issues and support advanced health research on mercury use in gold mining communities.
QUALITY EDUCATION: Ending child labour and empowering a brighter future.
GENDER EQUALITY: Giving the option to women to leave the mining process and creating alternative employment.
RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION: Acquire lab separators to offer on-site separation techniques to anyone for FREE to replace the use of mercury in the gold extraction process.
LIFE BELOW WATER: Removing mercury as a favorite tool for artisanal miners eliminates 40% of all man-made mercury pollution in the world’s oceans.
LIFE ON LAND: Partner with environmental stewards, scientists, and organizations deploying preventative interventions and rehabilitating ecosystems damaged by gold mining communities operations.
PARTNERSHIPS FOR THE GOALS: Heart of Mine is building key business relationships with NGOs throughout the regions they work to produce positive results in areas of need.
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