The 4th Meeting of Artisanal Miners of Chaparra

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Located in the Chaparra District of the Province of Caraveli, in the Arequipa region of Peru, Chaparra is a small town full of warm people. Their main income is gold mining; many Chaparrans have dedicated multiple generations to this sector. On Sunday June 12, 2016, the 4th Meeting of Artisanal Miners of Chaparra was held within the activities to celebrate the month of the 199th  Anniversary of the Chaparra District.

The event was attended by two papers related to artisanal mining and the AGC participated under the name: First Gravimetric Processing System. We presented broad outlines of the project we are about to undertake in Peru. In addition to formalizing the process of artisanal miners locally, the most anticipated part of our presentation was the operation of the gravimetric plant. The artisanal miners were not only very excited to know how to operate the new technology but also that the first installments in Peru would occur in Chaparra.

After the presentation there were several questions and positive comments about the project. For example, the Mayor of Chaparra, Valerio Condori collaborated by strengthening the explanation about the processing system implementation timelines and by requesting patience to all of the artisanal miner associations. The processing gravimetric system in Chaparra will be installed as a pilot project and the AGC hopes to support its replication using the trust fund generated by this first experience.



4to Encuentro de Mineros Artesanales de Chaparra

Chaparra es una localidad pequeña con gente muy afectuosa, ubicada en el Distrito de Chaparra, Provincia de Caravelí en la Región Arequipa. Su Principal ingreso económico es la minería aurífera a la cual muchos de sus pobladores se dedican de manera artesanal.
El Domingo 12 de Junio 2016 se realizó el 4to Encuentro de Mineros Artesanales de Chaparra en el marco de las actividades planificadas por el mes del 199 Aniversario del Distrito de Chaparra.

El evento contó con la participación de dos ponencias referidas a la minería artesanal y nuestra participación bajo el nombre: ¨Primera Planta Gravimétrica en Chaparra¨. Expusimos las líneas generales del proyecto y los pilares en los que se fundamenta, así como el funcionamiento del sistema de procesamiento gravimétrico para la planta piloto, que fue la parte más esperada de la presentación.  La segunda ponencia versó sobre el proceso de Formalización para los Mineros Artesanales.

Los mineros artesanales estaban muy entusiasmados por saber como funcionaría el sistema de procesamiento gravimétrico de la planta piloto, sobre todo, por el hecho de ser el primero en instalarse en Chaparra.

Tuvimos varias preguntas y comentarios positivos acerca del proyecto: el Alcalde de Chaparra, Valerio Condori, se mostró muy colaborativo con el proyecto reforzando la explicación referida a los plazos de implementación del sistema para la planta piloto, y solicitando paciencia a las demás asociaciones. El sistema de procesamiento gravimétrico se instalará con una Organización de Mineros Artesanales (OMAPE) como una planta piloto que luego se intentará replicar utilizando el fondo fiduciario que ésta genere.

Al finalizar el evento los mineros se acercaron para agradecernos y brindar sus saludos a Artisanal Gold Council en Canadá.


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The Artisanal Gold Council is a registered non-profit organization that improves the environmental and economic sustainability of artisanal and small scale gold mining communities.

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