Dispatches From The Field is a regular video series from planetGOLD spotlighting unique stories coming out of countries in the planetGOLD programme as we work to demonstrate a pathway to cleaner and more efficient artisanal and small-scale gold mining practices that benefit everyone, from mine to market.
Each episode dives into some of the obstacles and barriers that miners have faced, while featuring champions that are breaking through these challenges to advance responsible mining and make meaningful change on the ground. Ultimately, the series aims to showcase and celebrate positive ripple effects the program is having on individuals and communities alike toward making mercury history in artisanal and small-scale gold mining.
Episode 17: Unlocking finance to help gold miners make mercury history in Burkina Faso
The first-ever formal loan program for artisanal miners in Burkina Faso launched in early 2025 through a collaboration between the planetGOLD project and Coris Bank International. The revolving fund they have set up provides miners with low-interest financing to buy mercury-free equipment and working capital.
For years, artisanal and small-scale gold miners in the country have struggled to secure funding for mercury-free processing equipment, with banks seeing the sector as too risky. This pilot finance mechanism, however, utilizes a risk-sharing model, wherein the bank, mining cooperatives, and the planetGOLD project all equally distribute the lending risk. Find out more in this episode.
Episode 16: Supporting alternative livelihood options for women miners in Bolivia
In San Ramón, Bolivia—an area known for its biodiversity and tropical climate—the planetGOLD project is partnering with women miners to provide training in gastronomy, helping them to incorporate cooking businesses as an alternative source of income for themselves and their families.
The course is grounded in the Manq'a approach of using locally sourced ingredients. Hear from some of the women and leaders who participated in the initiative to support additional livelihood options that serve as an alternative to mining.
Episode 15: How this gold mine in the Philippines has gone mercury-free
In the Philippines municipality of Paracale, over half of the population is involved in artisanal & small-scale gold mining. Many operations use toxic mercury to extract their gold and use outdated equipment—but the mine site featured in this episode is home to a brand new, mercury-free gold processing system thanks to the planetGOLD Philippines project.
The upgraded facility eliminates harmful emissions of mercury while also supporting livelihoods by enabling miners to recover more gold than before when they were using mercury. Learn more about this site, which members of the planetGOLD programme visited following planetGOLD's 2024 Global Forum on ASGM.
Episode 14: Partnering with Ugandan miners to formalize and Make Mercury History
At the Kayonza-Kitumbi mine site in central Uganda it is estimated that between 2,000-3,000 people have been engaged in small-scale gold mining here for decades, typically using toxic mercury to process their ore. The planetGOLD project in Uganda is partnering with miners at this site to help them transition to mercury-free methods and to achieve full legal recognition by the government.
Mercury-free processing equipment that will be constructed at the site in the future will also incentivize miners working nearby to formalize and join the cooperative. In episode 14 hear about the impact planetGOLD Uganda aims to make in this key mining area.
Episode 13: Advancing financial inclusion for women miners in Colombia
As part of its financial inclusion strategy, planetGOLD Colombia has developed a Savings & Credit group program, training miners to manage their own community loans at a low interest rate, rather than rely on loan sharks.
The project has formed 81 groups with the successful participation of over 1,300 people so far—78% of whom are women miners. In episode 13, hear from some of these women about how the program has helped them achieve a new level of financial autonomy.
Episode 12: Training gold miners to eliminate toxic mercury in Burkina Faso
Angèle Delo began panning with mercury in her town in southeastern Burkina Faso at the age of 12. Now she is one of 116 miners who are newly equipped with skills to process ore without the use of this toxic metal, thanks to a new vocational training program developed by planetGOLD Burkina Faso.
Angèle plans to not only use this training for her own work, but to also raise awareness among her fellow women miners, especially in the town of Poura where many women still work using mercury. Meet Angele and learn more about the vocational training in episode 12.
Episode 11: Miners and processing plants partnering to Make Mercury History in Ecuador
A new initiative in Ecuador encourages small-scale gold miners to sell their mineral to mercury-free processing plants, all while delivering a higher profit rate than if the miners processed the ore themselves using mercury.
The planetGOLD project in Ecuador is working to persuade miners of the benefits: they can avoid exposing themselves and others to toxic mercury, save time in their work days, and bring home more income to support themselves and their families. Learn how this mineral sales strategy works in episode 11.
Episode 10: Partnering with Indigenous communities in the Philippines to Make Mercury History
Alfredo Somebang is an elder of the Pidlisan Indigenous tribe, which is part of the collective tribe of Igorot, or "people of the mountains," in the Philippines' Sagada region. He works as a gold miner as well as a farmer to support his family. Small-scale gold mining is an increasingly important part of this region’s economy, and for the past two years, the planetGOLD project has worked with Alfredo and other miners to design a mercury-free gold processing plant that is fully accepted and approved by all local Indigenous communities.
When the project is completed the team hopes it will be a positive example of the importance of using Free, Prior & Informed Consent (FPIC) when working with Indigenous communities. Hear from Alfredo and project staff in episode 10.
Episode 9: Building a mercury-free future in Mongolia
Two new facilities nearing completion in Mongolia will allow small-scale gold miners to use a centralized, professional processing service that is mercury-free, rather than doing the gold processing themselves in secret using mercury.
Visit the new mercury-free facilities constructed in Mandal soum and Tunkhel village to get a glimpse of these lasting investments to help miners transition and make mercury history in Mongolia's ASGM sector.
Episode 8: Women training women to go mercury-free in Indonesia
The Indonesian island of Sumatra is home to hundreds of small-scale miners who work as gold panners, including 42-year-old Sugiyanti.
After participating in a train-the-trainer program with planetGOLD Indonesia, Sugiyanti learned to use mercury-free technologies like the Gold Cube, and she has excelled in spreading this knowledge to other miners in her area through training events.
Episode 7: Bringing mercury-free methods to the indigenous community of Karrau
In Karrau, an Amerindian settlement along the banks of the Essequibo River in Guyana, small-scale gold mining has become a major source of income.
Hear from Toshao Shane Cornelius, the village leader, on why he has partnered with planetGOLD Guyana to bring mercury-free mining technologies to this Indigenous community and demonstrate how villagers can provide for their families in a responsible way.
Episode 6: Working to #EmbraceEquity for women gold miners
Anne Desma is a small-scale gold miner and community leader in western Kenya who is determined to lead her community toward mercury-free mining. Women like her have a key role to play in the push to make mercury history in the ASGM sector globally.
On International Women's Day 2023 we recognized Anne and all of the women miners who are showing that to achieve a responsible artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector it is key to embrace equity for all.
Episode 5: Helping miners access financing in Peru
The fifth episode looks at innovative approaches the planetGOLD Peru project is piloting to unlock flows of formal finance for small-scale miners, which is critical for them to make the transition to mercury-free.
By designing financial products specifically for the sector, improving financial institutions' understanding of this unique industry, and developing a new financing mechanism, the project is working to overcome a major barrier in the shift to responsible, mercury-free ASGM.
Episode 4: Meet Mary Alwanyi from Kenya
In episode four, meet Mary Alwanyi, a small-scale miner and well-known community activist in Kakamega County, Kenya. She and other women from her community process gold in her backyard using mercury, but she is eager to get equipment that can help her get more gold without the use of this toxic chemical.
Hear her story and see how planetGOLD Kenya is working to help her improve her chances of getting financing to afford the mercury-free equipment she needs.
Episode 3: Mercury-free mining in Burkina Faso
Our third journey takes us to Burkina Faso. Artisanal & small-scale gold mining has been steadily growing there over the last decade, with most miners lacking finances and training to utilize methods that do not use toxic mercury.
But a newly installed mercury free processing system at planetGOLD Burkina Faso's project site is providing an opportunity for miners to train and experience firsthand the benefits of alternative technologies that can help end mercury use in the country's mining sector.
Episode 2: Meet Chris Alphonso from Guyana
In episode two, meet Chris Alphonso, a medium-scale miner in Guyana's hinterland. Until recently, using mercury was the best way he knew of to extract his gold, but since he partnered with planetGOLD Guyana to install a mercury-free demonstration project on his land, he has seen firsthand the benefits of using clean technologies and now encourages other miners to take up responsible mining methods.
PLUS: You can explore Chris' mine, the demonstration circuit, and the nearby gold town of Mahdia via this 360° interactive virtual tour.
Episode 1: Meet Demver Suzara from the Philippines
In the first episode of Dispatches From The Field, meet Demver Suzara, a small-scale miner in the Philippines. Mercury has been used for decades to collect gold in his community of Paracale, but he sees a brighter future. He is advocating to make mercury history in his community and is actively working with the planetGOLD Philippines project to install a mercury-free processing system.
To catch the next episode in this series, be sure to subscribe to planetGOLD's YouTube channel to follow miners and teams from planetGOLD countries around the world on their journey to making mercury history in artisanal and small-scale gold mining.