How North Mara Goldmine fosters good relations with surrounding communities

MARA: Nyamongo location in Tarime District Council of Mara Region is a fast-growing town, teeming with all sorts of activities of an urban centre.

At the heart of its leisure and entertainment is the Mahusiano Cup tournament hosted by Barrick Gold North Mara, aiming at improving cordial relations with its surrounding communities.

The mine, jointly run by Barrick Gold Corporation and the Tanzania Government through a subsidiary firm, Twiga Minerals, has been in the forefront in helping adjacent communities to reap the benefits of its presence.

One of such benefits is the Mine’s sponsorship of the football competition, dubbed Mahusiano Cup, among the youth in Nyamongo area. Its reigning key slogan has been “Good Relations for Sustainable Investment.”

The Mahusiano Cup competition doesn’t only centre on sports but is also used as a platform for consolidating friendly relations between North Mara and nearby communities.

Speaking in an interview last week, several people – including the youth – say Mahusiano Cup competition has been a catalyst for improving relations between the two sides.

Annually, North Mara, in collaboration with the Tarime District Council, has been donating sports equipment to facilitate training and expertise for the young men and women taking part in the sports competition.

Through participation in this competition, the youth showcase their talents, get the chance to know each other, improve their health status, learn the fundamental of cooperation, become disciplined and exchange views on matters of mutual interest.

“This competition has enabled many young men and women to showcase their talents to teams participating in the regional football league,” says Ismail Hassan, a resident of Nyangoto village.

Through sports or other economic activities, the competition mobilises people to cooperate and build strong bonds of solidarity and get the opportunity to learn North Mara’s contribution to socio-economic development in the area.

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A spokesman of Nyamwaga FC, one of the participants of the Mahusiano Cup, Emmanuel Sengeli, thanks North Mara for launching the competition saying it helps to change the bad behavior of the youth in the community.

“The Mine has done a good job in launching the competition as it enables the youth to abandon bad behavior, like intrusion of North Mara to commit offences,” Sengeli says.

He also advises the Mine authorities to establish such sports as netball, basketball, athletics and music to attract more young men and women in nurturing the talents.

A resident of Kewanja, Modester Mwita, says the competition has seen the growth of businesses among the youth near the gold mine.

“As this competition attracts so many people, various businesses such as the sale of cold drinks, fruits and food stuffs in areas where the people meet, have begun sprouting,” Mwita says.

This year’s Mahusiano Cup competition saw Kewanja FC clinching the title for the fifth time in a row, after defeating Nyamwaga FC 3-1 through penalties, after the 90 minutes ended with 1-1 draw.

The guest of honour was Tarime District Commissioner Major Edward Flowin Gowele, who handed over the trophy to Kewanja FC.

The ceremony was witnessed by North Mara Gold Mine General Manager Apolinary Lyambiko and other leaders.

Major Gowele praised North Mara for staging the competition, promising government’s assistance in enhancing its gains.

Earlier, Lyambiko told the District Commissioner how the competition has helped cement good relations between the mine and the nearby communities.

The good news that Lyambiko disclosed was that the Barrick Gold President and Chief Executive Officer Dr Mark Bristow has promised to build a state-of-the-art sports complex at Nyamongo, to mobilise youth around the mine to participate in sports.

By launching the Mahusiano Cup competition to enhance cordial relations with villagers around the mine, North Mara authorities have created a conducive working environment where its activities cannot be interrupted by such crimes as intrusion of the mine premises by people who harbor intentions to steal gold ore or destroying infrastructure.

“This achievement needs the support of every person who cherishes peaceful coexistence. It is the best way of allowing the mine to carry out its activities uninterrupted for the benefit of all – the mine and the nearby communities,” says Pius Matiende of Matongo village.

In summary, the Mahusiano Cup competition is a good example of mutual coexistence for civilized people who speak one language while striving for economic development.