African Panther Resources has begun a structured formalisation programme with artisanal vermiculite pickers in Kitgum, one of the first industrial-mineral operators in Uganda to build such a scheme into the design of its project rather than bolting it on afterwards.
Participants receive personal protective equipment, transparent per-kilogram pricing linked to grade, and membership in a cooperative that handles bulk sales and record-keeping. District officials describe the approach as a model that could be replicated for limestone, marble, tin and other industrial minerals across northern and western Uganda.