Gold: The Journey Continues | Episode 4 | Côte d'Ivoire

Key Concepts

• Birimian Greenstone Belt: A geologically significant region in West Africa known for its high gold potential.
• Social Performance Strategy: Endeavour Mining's approach to community engagement, built on trust and value sharing.
• N’goto Yetehe: An initiative by Endeavour Mining to retrain and employ former construction workers.
• Chop Ladies: A program that integrates local women, formerly involved in informal mining, into the formal workforce as cooks.
• I Choose My Future: An initiative by the Endeavour Foundation and NGO Overcome Women to combat teenage pregnancy and keep girls in school.
• Literacy Project: An adult education program aimed at equipping community members with basic reading, writing, and numeracy skills.
• Sustainability: The overarching goal of Endeavour Mining's community initiatives, ensuring long-term benefits beyond the mine's operational life.

Lafigué Mine: Transforming Challenges into Opportunities

This summary details Endeavour Mining's Lafigué mine operation in Côte d'Ivoire, highlighting its approach to community development, economic empowerment, and sustainable impact. The narrative emphasizes how the company transforms the challenges of operating in remote areas with limited infrastructure and local community needs into opportunities for growth and lasting change.

1. Community Engagement and Trust Building

• Pre-Construction Engagement: Endeavour Mining's social performance strategy began eight years before mine construction, focusing on two pillars:
  • Building Trust: Creating transparency with local communities.
  • Sharing Value: Developing programs to empower the community during production and after closure.
• Village Chief's Perspective: Karidioula Binan, the Village Chief, acknowledges initial apprehension but notes the benefits brought by the mine's development and maintains good relations through monthly meetings and accessible communication channels.
• Local Hire Prioritization: During the construction phase (early 2022), Endeavour prioritized local recruitment, employing approximately 2,000 to 2,400 people.

2. Addressing Employment Transitions: The N’goto Yetehe Initiative

• Challenge: As construction concluded, hundreds of workers faced job losses.
• Solution: Endeavour launched the ‘N’goto Yetehe’ initiative, a program designed to transition builders into trainees, entrepreneurs, and employees.
• Case Study: One individual, who assisted a master welder during construction, was retrained in IT. This led to the establishment of a local internet café providing services like CV printing, copying, and money withdrawal, which is highly appreciated by villagers.

3. Lafigué Mine Operations and Economic Impact

• Fifth Mine in a Decade: Lafigué is Endeavour's fifth mine developed in West Africa in the last ten years.
• Production: The mine poured its first gold in August 2024 and is expected to produce up to 200,000 ounces of gold annually, equivalent to the weight of an African elephant.
• Lifespan: The mine has a projected lifespan of at least 13 years, significantly contributing to the region's economy.
• Employee Demographics: Over 40% of employees are from the local communities, meaning community development initiatives directly and immediately impact the workforce.

4. Empowering Women in the Mining Sector

• Upskilling and Training: Endeavour focuses on upskilling individuals in various roles, including technicians, electricians, artisans, and truck operators.
• Pursuing Dreams: The mine provides opportunities for individuals to pursue vocational dreams, such as one woman who always wanted to study electricity and is now able to do so through the mine's training programs.
• Breaking Gender Stereotypes: Women are taking on roles traditionally considered "men's jobs," such as fixing heavy machinery. This is seen as a blessing and a significant opportunity, earning them respect and encouragement.
• Inspiring Future Generations: Women in the mining sector are actively working to inspire young girls to pursue careers in STEM and mining, challenging the stigma that women in this industry cannot marry or have children. They share their experiences as women, mothers, and wives thriving in the mining industry.

5. Formalizing Informal Mining and Creating New Opportunities

• Context: Côte d'Ivoire has a long history of informal and small-scale mining, often characterized by hazardous conditions, poor environmental standards, and child labor.
• Transition: Endeavour Mining has created programs to bring individuals from informal mining into the formal workforce.
• The ‘Chop Ladies’ Programme: This initiative specifically targets local women who previously worked on illegal artisanal mining sites. They are now employed by the mine to cook for workers, providing a safe and stable working environment. Solange Ouattara, a participant, highlights the positive change from feeling threatened to experiencing reassurance and a better life.

6. Supporting Livelihoods Beyond Direct Employment

• Farming Support: Endeavour supports the wider community, particularly in farming, a key livelihood.
• Gardening Initiative: The mine provides coaching and support for local gardens, enabling villagers to grow a variety of produce (cucumbers, cabbage, aubergines, peppers, tomatoes). This initiative promotes self-sufficiency, allowing families to eat fresh produce and sell the surplus to fund education and reinvestment.
• Cooperative Ambition: Local cooperatives are ambitious, with Endeavour's support contributing to jobs, infrastructure, and income-generating activities.

7. Education and Skill Development for All Ages

• ‘I Choose My Future’ Initiative: In partnership with NGO Overcome Women, the Endeavour Foundation launched this program to address teenage pregnancy in rural communities.
  • Goal: To help young girls stay in school and pursue their dreams.
  • Impact: Awareness campaigns have reached 2,500 students and 1,000 parents and teachers, empowering girls to report harassment and continue their education.
• Adult Literacy Program: Endeavour recognized the need for education across all ages.
  • Objective: To equip adults with skills for mine employment and participation in the local economy.
  • Outcome: The program has established six classrooms for literacy, enabling parents to read report cards, prescriptions, write their names, perform basic math, and communicate in French. This has significantly changed their lives and improved their ability to manage finances and conduct business.
• Entrepreneurship: The literacy and skill development programs have enabled individuals to start their own businesses, such as opening shops and becoming self-employed.

8. Long-Term Vision and Sustainability

• Adaptation and Growth: As the mine grows, Endeavour aims to adapt, strengthen successful initiatives, and build for the future to ensure lasting benefits.
• Sustainability Goal: The key to success is ensuring that initiatives are sustainable with or without Endeavour's presence, leaving a legacy for future generations.
• Community Evolution: The mine is fostering village evolution, with people settling and businesses growing. The principle of shared prosperity, where profits benefit the wider community, is emphasized, particularly for women.
• Empowering Future Leaders: The aim is to create young people who are proactive and to develop a number of female leaders.
• Broader Impact: The mine facilitates interaction with the outside world, enabling learning of new professions and business opportunities, contributing to both the macro-economy and local communities.