Mawero, Busia
When we build, we want the communities around us to build with us.
At the Burlcore Foundation, our vision for a successful project goes hand in hand with the prosperity of our neighbours. Recently, our Community Development team sat down with 14 local residents in Mawero, Busia, to listen, understand their challenges, and identify how the Foundation can create meaningful, sustainable opportunities for the people living closest to our operations.
Two experienced artisans stood out. Each had a trade already valued locally, yet each was held back by the same gap: a lack of capital, workspace and reliable materials. The Burlcore Foundation is proud to partner with both of them, on terms that keep their dignity, independence and families at the centre.
Carpenter, father of seven
Ndegge: building under the tree, planning for the future.
Ndegge is a local carpenter who has long worked under a tree beside the mine, shaping wood in the shade with the tools he could gather. His craftsmanship is known in Mawero, but without a formal workshop or reliable materials, growth has been difficult. Keeping seven children in school is his daily priority, and school fees often absorb every shilling he earns.
The Foundation is funding the tools and raw materials Ndegge needs to boost his carpentry business, from better blades and measuring equipment to a stock of timber. This is not a hand-out; it is a targeted investment in a trade that already supports a family, so that income can rise and school fees can be met with greater confidence.
Basket maker, displaced by the mine
Issa: weaving a new start after displacement.
Issa is a basket maker whose family was displaced by the mine. Living with the effects of polio, he has woven beautiful, handcrafted baskets for years with quiet resilience. Yet without a permanent workspace, his trade has stayed small, and the cost of setting up a proper shop has been out of reach.
The Burlcore Foundation is helping Issa pay to get his shop set up, and is covering a full year's rent, alongside starter materials so he can trade consistently from a single, dignified space. With the business on firmer ground, his own children can look forward to a more stable school year too.
A partnership for the future
By investing directly in Ndegge and Issa, the Burlcore Foundation is ensuring that the benefits of our presence are felt immediately by the community. We are not just supporting the region; we are helping to build local micro-enterprises that will support families in Mawero for generations to come.
