Gold Dig It! – The Story of Monica

Monica Anyede, a mother of 3 children, is a resident of Tiira in Busia District, Eastern Region of Uganda.  The wild story of gold and the district outback from a woman defying male conventions in pursuit of the mother lode.  Mediavision Academy has deployed its multimedia team in Tiira, a city located about 168 km east of Kampala, the country’s capital town, to capture the inspiring story of a married wife who has chosen to risk her life and health by digging gold.

Commissioned by the African Centre for Media Excellence (ACME), the documentary project follows Monica, an artisanal minor, who has chosen to risk her life as the mining industry has a reputation for being a risky business, with health risks that are varied and often quite serious.  “It is important for miners to protect themselves accordingly” acknowledges Monica.

The story depicts the experience of the most direct impact of gold digging through Monica’s eyes.  “The degradation of the environment and its consequences, scarce clean safe water, poor sanitation with one pit latrine accommodating a total population of about 300 miners” Monica shared. 

 

As a member of Busia United Miners Association (BUMA), her only dream is to be able to start a business and have access to start-up capital.

(To be cont’d)