SUGGESTED PROGRAM
Day 1 — Visit to SICOMINES (Industrial Mining Site)
06:30 — Breakfast & safety briefing at the hotel.
07:15 — Departure for SICOMINES site (travel time approx. 30–90 minutes depending on location).
08:00 — Arrival at the main gate: security check, visitor registration, PPE (helmet, high-visibility vest, safety glasses, hearing protection if required).
08:30 – 09:15 — Health-Safety-Environment (HSE) officer briefing: risks, photography rules, evacuation plan.
09:15 – 12:00 — Guided tour (processing plant, workshops, authorized extraction zones, control center). Photography allowed only in pre-approved areas.
12:00 – 13:00 — Lunch at the site canteen (or return to the hotel restaurant if required).
13:00 – 15:00 — Meeting with Community Relations/Operations Department (technical questions, ESG briefing, project overview).
15:00 – 16:00 — Free time for authorized photography, exchange of contacts, handover of corporate souvenirs.
16:30 — Return to Kolwezi; debrief session with summary notes.
Evening — Dinner at a recommended restaurant (secure location).
Main objectives: gain understanding of large-scale integrated mining operations, observe industrial processes, assess HSE standards, and interact with operational managers.
Day 2 — Visit to Mutoshi / Chemaf (Artisanal & Small-Scale Mining – ASM)
06:30 — Breakfast & specific ASM safety briefing.
07:15 — Departure for Mutoshi site (approx. 1 hour drive).
08:00 — Welcome by Chemaf/ASM cooperative team: registration, PPE check.
08:30 – 09:30 — Presentation of the Mutoshi project: ASM formalization, responsible mining
practices, community engagement.
09:30 – 12:00 — Guided field visit of authorized ASM areas: pits, washing stations, sorting zones, storage areas. Direct observation of artisanal operations with strict adherence to safety instructions.
12:00 – 13:00 — Lunch with the cooperative team / community (arranged on-site).
13:00 – 14:30 — Meeting with cooperative representatives (COMIAKOL / Chemaf) on market access models, traceability, environmental and health risks.
14:30 – 15:30 — Authorized photography session (public areas only, with prior written approval). Opportunity to purchase local handicrafts.
15:45 — Return to Kolwezi; final debriefing and delivery of a short written report (HSE observations, recommendations).
Evening — Preparation for departure or continuation of stay.
Main objectives: observe the realities of ASM, understand formalization mechanisms, document socio-environmental challenges, and capture authorized photos.
"People like you based in ecotourism are just as important as us scientists and researchers in keeping these last wild areas under protection for as long as possible by exposing them for what they are, natural resources in need of conservation. You deal mainly with convincing the public while we deal mainly with convincing the government."
- Nancy Barker, Ph.D. Candidate - Conservation EcologyDepartment of Environmental Science, Policy & ManagementUniversity of California at Berkeley, USA
Current Ops & Trips