In the past decade, the energy and extractives industry in Kenya is fast evolving with new laws and regulations coming it force, technological advancements, offering of the sector related courses by local universities as well as women workforce penetrating the sector. Kenya’s extractives industry lacks a structured mentorship program specifically designed for female students and young professionals looking to join the sector or making their debut in this industry dominated by men.

The overall goal of this program is to provide the participants with a much sought-after opportunity to connect with successful professionals and industry leaders as mentors, who are in a position to empower them with requisite tools and promote them from a professional and personal development perspective. Further, Mentees who will benefit from AMP will form an alumnus of Mentees who will in turn become mentors and champion the participation of more women in the sector.

To this effect, we hosted, virtually, the launch of the AWEIK Mentorship Program on Tuesday 27^th July 2021

Be part of the AWEIK Mentorship Programme, apply here

Supporting Women Artisanal Small Scale Miners (WASMs)

This was part of the AWEIK’s sensitization strategy to involve women ASM Miners in discussions around their craft. The conversations included the current trends in Gemstone and Gold Mining across Africa, recognizing the role women play in Gemstones for Peace, Linking ASM Miners and International buyers and forging a new generation of Young leaders in Mining. Key take-away from Gems Africa 2021 Virtual Conference as means of ensuring Responsible Sourcing of Gemstones and Gold:

Call to action:

• Building awareness around Gemstone and Gold sourcing including positive activism, partnerships with stakeholders in the supply chain to ensure that ASGM and ASMs get value for their products.
• Knowledge sharing. Creating meaningful conversation around Gemstone and Gold Sourcing, exploring the use of data and research in Gemstone and Gold sourcing.
• Collaboration and Co-designing initiatives geared towards ASM Empowerment and Responsible Sourcing.

Get the full Conference audio here

The training covered areas in:

1. Occupational Safety and Health Law and Regulations
2. Personal Protective Equipment
3. Safety and Health Management
4. Mining Hazards
5. Risk Assessment

The ASM participants were able to identify mining hazards, undertake risk assessments of their operations, and undertake safety and health mitigation and management. Kenya.

The partnership between AWEIK and Kipya Africa Limited will cover a wide range of activities including:

• Training and Research in Upstream, Midstream and Downstream Petroleum
• Training and Research in the Large, Medium, Small Scale and Artisanal Mining (including; Responsible Mining)
• Policy Development and Implementation
• Field Studies, Reviews and Operational Audits

Read more here

To become an AWEIK Member, write to us admin@aweik.or.ke

Madini SACCO

Madini Sacco offers a savings platform for the ASM miners countrywide. The main aim of Madini Sacco will be to provide an opportunity for each of its members to improve their respective economic and social conditions through promotion of financial access through loans to small and medium-scale miners and dealers who cannot access credit facilities from commercial banks. To become a member, write to us, admin@aweik.or.ke

1. Virtual Gemology courses
2. Gemstone Value Addition
3. Responsible Mining: Occupational safety, health and environment for Artisanal Small Scale Miners (OSHE)

We are excited to announce that AWEIK Member, Jane Muigai, was nominated as Africa’s Rising Woman by CNBC at theCNBC Rising Woman Africa series 2021 summer edition.

Jane is the Founder and director of Toolkit iSkills, Ltd (TTI), Kenya-based social enterprise founded in 2014 with the goal of disrupting youth unemployment. TTI trains vulnerable youth and women, certifies their skills with regulatory bodies, and then links them to employment or entrepreneurship.

Through TTI, Jane helps unemployed Kenyan youths gain skills and find work placements in construction, infrastructure, renewable energy, agriculture, and ICT sectors.

We are proud of the work she is doing in empowering women to take up spaces in the Energy and Extractives sectors in Kenya.

Read more here

From an LLM in Dundee to running a legal practice in Kenya.

Read the story of AWEIK Member, Wairimu Karanja’s Career Journey

Wairimu Karanja, from Kenya, graduated in 2018 with LLM Energy Law and Policy and it helped her to hone her expertise in energy practice.

Wairimu now runs a legal practice firm in Kenya, focusing on corporate law and energy law. Wairimu has continued to engage with the University and CEPMLP and tells us about the highlights of studying her masters in Dundee.

Wairimu says, “I did my Energy Law Masters after years of practice in project advisory so I knew what I wanted to get out of the course. Studying at the University of Dundee was exciting and highly engaging.”

Read More here

This year’s theme was “Responsible Sourcing of Gemstones and Gold from Mines To Market”.

Gems Africa 2021 Virtual Conference helped build an understanding on the complexities around mainstreaming the gemstone and gold sectors in Africa, and revealed ASM’s contributions to development in Africa.

The virtual conference emphasized on the need to involve ASM miners in policy making processes and encouraged technology and innovation as means of sustaining the Gemstone and Gold sectors in Africa.

It is interesting to note the role women play in peace-keeping in Mining areas which are often flocked with insecurity, as discussed at the virtual conference.

We would like to thank all our sponsors and partners that made the conference a success:

• Ministry of Petroleum and Mining Kenya
• Base Titanium Limited
• Gemological Institute of America
• The New Jeweller Magazine
• Extractives Baraza
• Mimo Gem Traders

Find the full event video and audio here