Burlcore Mining Co.
Project Update · Micro-Enterprise, Mawero

Backing local artisans, one enterprise at a time.

Two grassroots initiatives funded by the Burlcore Foundation in the Mawero community: new tools for a carpenter, and a shop of his own for a basket maker.

30 July 2026 Busia, Uganda

Burlcore Foundation expands micro-enterprise support in Busia, empowering local artisans.

As part of our ongoing commitment to sustainable community development and robust ESG practices, the Burlcore Foundation is proud to announce two new grassroots initiatives designed to empower local artisans. Centred around the Mawero community, these projects focus on fostering and supporting visible local micro-enterprises right on our doorstep. By providing targeted, direct resources to dedicated individuals, we are helping to build a more resilient local economy that thrives alongside our operations.

Building futures: Ndegge's carpentry business

One of our newest partnerships is with Ndegge, a skilled local carpenter who has long operated his business beneath the shade of a tree near our mining operations. A devoted father, Ndegge works tirelessly with a singular goal: keeping his seven children in school. However, limited resources and equipment have historically capped his business's potential.

Recognising a clear opportunity for a high-impact community quick win, the Burlcore Foundation has stepped in to equip Ndegge with a comprehensive suite of new tools and essential building materials. This strategic boost upgrades his production capacity and improves the quality of his output. By investing directly in his craft, we are helping secure his income, ensuring his children can continue their education while his local micro-enterprise flourishes.

Ndegge, a local carpenter supported by the Burlcore Foundation in Mawero, Busia
Burlcore Foundation team meeting Issa to plan his new basket shop in Busia

Securing livelihoods: Issa's basket shop

Our second initiative centres on Issa, a talented basket maker whose story deeply moved our team during recent community visits. Living with polio and having previously been displaced by the mine's development, Issa has demonstrated remarkable resilience and dedication to his craft.

To support his livelihood and provide long-term commercial stability, the Burlcore Foundation is fully funding the setup of Issa's very own shop. After consulting with him to assess his exact business needs, we have secured a dedicated workspace by covering a full year's rent and providing him with the starter materials required to begin weaving and stocking his shelves immediately. This secure, accessible storefront will allow Issa to grow his customer base and run his business with the dignity, safety and independence he deserves.

Issa preparing woven strips for a basket outside his home in Mawero, Busia
A young weaver completing a handmade basket in Busia District

Our commitment to the community

At the Burlcore Foundation, we believe that true ESG success goes beyond macro-level infrastructure; it is firmly rooted in the individual lives we touch. By investing directly in local entrepreneurs like Ndegge and Issa, we are building mutual trust, fostering grassroots economic independence, and ensuring that our presence in Busia brings tangible, lasting benefits to the community we call home.

We look forward to watching these micro-enterprises grow and will continue to identify and support vital community businesses in the months to come.

"Supporting one carpenter or one basket maker may look small next to a borehole or a road, but it is the kind of support that changes a household immediately and permanently. That is where our reinvestment belongs."

- A Burlcore Spokesperson

Burlcore Mining Company Limited operates in Busia, Uganda. These initiatives are delivered by Burlcore on behalf of the Burlcore Foundation.

ENDS

Tools and materials
A full tool set and building materials for Ndegge's carpentry business
A shop of his own
One year of rent and starter materials funding Issa's basket shop
Mawero focused
Direct support for visible micro-enterprises on our doorstep
Related press release
Burlcore Mining expands strategic investments and local procurement in East Africa

The wider company release covering Burlcore's expanded operational infrastructure, local procurement pipeline and community welfare programmes across Busia District.

Read the full press release
Media Contact
Burlcore Mining Company Limited, Press Office
Elias Cheikh
elias@burlcore.com
Peninsula Road, Luzira, Central Nakawa, Kampala, Uganda · burlcoremining.com
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Our pledge

Rooted in Busia,
refined for the world.

Every ounce we recover is the product of disciplined work, formal compliance, and deep respect for the land and the communities that make it possible.

I.Responsibly mined
II.Formally compliant
III.Community first
IV.Built to last