Corporate social responsibility practices: insights from North Mara gold mine, Tanzania

The CSR practices of privately owned mining businesses have the capacity to foster the development of communities residing in proximity to the mining operations. Nevertheless, there is limited knowledge regarding the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives undertaken by mining businesses in Tanzania that are partially owned by the government. The focus of this study was to analyze the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives implemented by the North Mara Gold Mine in Tanzania, which is partially controlled by the government. The primary aims of this study were to assess the level of community awareness regarding Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and to analyze the CSR initiatives performed by North Mara Gold Mine among the surrounding regions. The research had a cross-sectional design and included a sample of 358 houses, which were chosen through the utilization of a systematic random selection method. The data collection process involved the utilization of many methods, including household surveys, key informant interviews, focus group talks, and documentary reviews. The data underwent examination through the utilization of descriptive statistics and content analysis techniques. The primary outcomes of the investigation indicated that a majority of the participants exhibited knowledge regarding corporate social responsibility (CSR), and demonstrated the ability to articulate and elucidate the CSR initiatives implemented by North Mara Gold Mine within their respective localities. The findings indicate that the key informants have the ability to articulate corporate social responsibility as the responsibilities of companies towards the local community residing in the vicinity of the mining operation, with the objective of enhancing the overall welfare of the community. Additionally, it was discovered that the North Mara Gold Mine has been actively engaging in the implementation of corporate social responsibility initiatives. These initiatives primarily involve providing support to the local populations residing in close proximity to the mine. The support encompasses several areas such as education, infrastructure development (including roads and sanitary facilities), healthcare, and employment opportunities. Hence, it is advisable for mining enterprises to include corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies into their business operations and establish a dedicated CSR Foundation to oversee and manage CSR initiatives. © 2023 by the authors. Licensee SSBFNET, Istanbul, Turkey. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).


Introduction
The communities residing in proximity to mining sites typically coexist with active mining businesses and mining operations in order to enhance their welfare by participation in artisanal small-scale mining, small business ventures, employment opportunities within the mining sector, and engagement in agricultural pursuits (Segerstedt, 2019).The advent of mining operations has presented numerous pragmatic obstacles to the welfare of these communities, as it entails the displacement of their agricultural land, the introduction of pollution, the emergence of health issues, the incitement of conflicts, and the depletion of social services such as water and healthcare facilities due to the influx of individuals in proximity to mining sites (Chaffee, 2017;Segerstedt, 2019).Additional issues encompass the deleterious consequences of deforestation and the consequent loss of wildlife habitats, as well as the degradation of land.Moreover, the displacement of individuals, who are adversely impacted by restricted access to economic activities and assets essential for their sustenance, poses further obstacles (Sahoo et al., 2018).
Mining corporations have been engaging in the implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, aiming to make positive contributions to the welfare of the local populations in close proximity to their operations.According to Waterhouse (2017), the emergence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the mining sector can be attributed to its effectiveness as a strategic approach for mining corporations to address the criticisms directed towards their mining operations.Untung et al. (2021) argue that mining corporations have transitioned from prioritizing profit maximization to adopting corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices, which entail environmental stewardship and social responsibility through the allocation of a portion of their earnings towards community development.There is also a contention that effective implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) yields benefits for enterprises, the national economy, and local populations residing in proximity to mining operations.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) functions as a developmental mechanism in industrialized nations, particularly in Europe.It assumes a significant role in the advancement of communities residing in close proximity to mining operations, promoting sustainable development, economic competitiveness, and fostering innovation (Chaffee, 2017).
In the African context, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is primarily linked to philanthropic initiatives aimed at benefiting local people in proximity to mining operations.However, it is worth noting that many nations within the region, like South Africa, Tanzania, and Botswana, have enacted legislation mandating CSR compliance for mining corporations (Jamali & Karam, 2018).In the country of Ghana, there are privately owned mining corporations such as AngloGold Ashanti, Newmont, and Kinross Gold, who actively contribute to the development of small local enterprises, provide employment opportunities for local populations, and enhance community infrastructure (Bonye et al., 2013).The National Mineral Policy of 2009 in Tanzania includes a provision in paragraph 5.9 that integrates the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).This policy mandates mining corporations to engage in CSR activities aimed at fostering the development of the local communities in which they operate (Essah & Andrews, 2016).In order to facilitate the effective implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies, the government introduced the Mining Act Number 5 of 1998 in 1998.This legislation was subsequently updated by the Mining Act CAP 123 of 2019.According to the United Republic of Tanzania ( 2019), mining businesses are required by the Act to develop and execute a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plan.This plan should identify the most pressing needs of the communities affected by mining activities and aim to enhance their overall welfare.According to Section 102 of the legislation, the mining corporation is obligated to engage in the purchase of goods and products originating from local communities.Additionally, the company is required to submit its procurement plans to the government for review and approval.According to the URT (2019), Section 103 of the legislation mandates the mining business to engage in the recruitment and employment of individuals from the host communities.Additionally, the company is required to offer comprehensive training and impart expertise pertaining to mining activities to these individuals.
According to Kilave (2017), privately held mining corporations have been actively involved in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.These initiatives include the construction of dispensaries, roads, and classrooms, as well as the provision of water, scholarships, and donations to underprivileged communities located in the vicinity of the mines.Organizations engage in the recruitment of individuals from various communities, establish a secure and conducive working atmosphere, adopt measures to mitigate environmental degradation, and extend assistance to small-scale income-generating endeavors (Brew et al., 2015;Untung et al., 2021).However, there is limited knowledge regarding the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives undertaken by mining companies that are partially owned by the government, as well as their impact on community development.According to Martinez and Franks (2014), Jamali andKaram (2018), andStrotmann et al. (2019), there exists a lack of clarity on the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives undertaken by state-owned mining enterprises on the socio-economic development of communities residing in close proximity to the mining operations.Since 2019, the North Mara Gold Mine in Tanzania has been subject to partial ownership by the government.However, there is limited knowledge regarding the corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies of the mine and the level of community awareness regarding CSR initiatives.Hence, the present study was undertaken to investigate the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives implemented by North Mara Gold Mine within the designated research region.Additionally, the study aimed to evaluate the level of community knowledge regarding CSR practices.After conducting a comprehensive assessment of the existing literature, the subsequent sections of this work are structured as follows: research and methodology, findings and discussion, and ultimately, conclusions.

Literature Review Theoretical Review
According to Legitimacy theory organizations can only continue to exist in an area if communities perceive them as functioning within their norms, beliefs and values, and if they are consulted as well as properly engaged (Asmeri et al., 2017).The theory states that firms are social institutions that require legitimacy to operate and maintain functional relationship with the communities in which they operate and therefore, they are expected to carry out activities that are acceptable to the community (Davis, 1973).The theory is based on the notion that social contract exists between organizations and society such that the organization is required to operate within bounds and norms of the respective society.Social contract is an implied contract between society and an organization whereby the society grants the organization permission to operate in compliance with the society's expectations (Islam, 2017).The legitimacy theory was adapted to guide this study because it best describes and captures the entire CSR phenomenon as related to the mining companies.The theory explains the way the mining company can build trust through giving back to society and when communities have trust on the institution, they would associate with it and have a good relationship.The theory gives a sufficient lens for understanding CSR, it has been widely used by scholars to explain the CSR practices of firms (Islam, 2017).

The CSR in the Mining Sector
According to Afrane and Adjei-Poku (2016), CSR emerged in the 1950s but it has remained an emerging and elusive idea for academics and a contested issue for corporations including stakeholders mainly due to divergent definitions.Literature shows that there is no single definition of CSR and the boundaries of CSR are not definite.However, it appears clearly in majority of the definitions that CSR relates to organizations' activities performed to ensure sustainable use of the environment and caring for people (Chaffee 2017).Saluja (2018) emphasized that CSR is a strategy that incorporates economic issues, environmental responsibility, social responsibilities and stakeholder involvement.Tanzania, like most Sub-Saharan African countries and other developing countries, in general, introduced CSR practices in the mining sector with a view of developing communities living around the mining areas.According to Saluja (2018), poor relationships between mining companies and host communities and the negative effects of large-scale mining corporations on the environment, human health and wellbeing of people living around the mines promoted the introduction of CSR.The Mining Policy directed the mining companies to contribute to development of communities surrounding the mines through CSR practices (URT, 2009).
Over the last twenty years in Tanzania, most of the foreign investor firms in the telecommunications, banking and mining sectors have been active in implementing CSR.Their charitable CSR activities have been covered by the media on a regular basis (Sagabho, 2021).In Tanzania, specific CSR guidelines are not well defined such that there is ambiguity in CSR directions, guidelines, and limitation that lead many organizations to contribute differently to community development (Celik et al., 2019).

The CSR Practices in promoting Community development
The CRS encompass well-known means to restore community wellbeing of people living around the mine (Hilson et al., 2019).Besides, CSR has been advocated as a practice of a socially responsible organization and a way of achieving host communities' wellbeing by world development agencies such as Department for International Development (DFID), United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Bank (Kilave, 2017).This is due to the fact that socially responsible organizations engage in community development (support public social services such as water, construction of roads and health), hire low skills people from the very community, minimize environmental pollution and provide a safe working environment to workers (Ikasu, 2018).According to Sagabho (2021), socially responsible companies perform different tasks such as youth and women skills development through career counselling and vocational training.Further, socially responsible companies do not only benefit themselves but also the society, they benefit by creating a better working environment for business to grow, practice government regulations, best use community resources, and improve the company's image to the public (Musimu, 2019).
In general, CSR is very important to the organization, government and society.The government is assisted on providing public social services such as health, water, education and infrastructure.The society benefits from social services given by companies with credible CSR, while business increases good relationship with government and host communities where it operates and it enhances business performance (Shoo, 2020).According to Shoo (2020).the Tanzania Mineral Policy of 2010, involvement of multinational companies to invest in mining were expected for communities living large mines to benefit, they are expected to have access to quality and affordable human basic needs in terms of health, education, employment, water, transport and communication network and environmental protection.

Research Design, Area and Sampling Approach
The study used a cross-sectional research design and mixed methods approach (Kumar, 2019).The study was conducted in Tarime District where North Mara Gold Mine is located.North Mara Gold Mine was purposely selected because it is a partly-government owned mine and it is an ideal place where the government can influence implementation of the CSR and contribute to communities' wellbeing.Specifically, the study was conducted in six villages from four wards where North Mara Gold Mine CSR is practised.They included villages of Kewanja, Kerende (Keambo Ward), Matongo, Nyangoto (Nyangoto Ward), Nyamwaga (Nyamwaga Ward) and Genkuru (Nyarokoba ward).Based on the formula by Panda (2009), 358 respondents out of 7,160 were sampled from these six villages for the study.The systematic random sampling technique was used to select 358 households from the six villages based on official lists of households that was obtained from village leaders.In addition, 19 key informants were purposively selected based on their positions and being considered to have much knowledge and experience about CSR practices.

Data Collection and Analysis
Data were collected from the six study villages located in four wards of Kemambo, Nyangoto, Nyamwaga and Nyarokoba.Information collected included the community awareness on CSR and the kinds of CSR practices introduced by the North Mara Mine at the community and household level.A household survey was carried out in 358 households, using a structured questionnaire.Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) were conducted with 19 key informants who were regarded to have in-depth understanding and relevant knowledge about the subject matter of the research.These individuals included village and ward executive officers and officials from North Mara Gold Mine, Tarime District, Ministry of Minerals and Geological Survey of Tanzania.Documentary review was done to collect secondary data through reviews of diverse sources of information which included journal articles, legislations and policy documents (the National Mineral Policy of 2009, the Mining Act of 2019, North Mara Mine CSR policy), reports (village reports on CSR projects, National Budget Survey, Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey Report of 2016) and other related documents.Six focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted in six villages (one FGD in each village).The participants consisted of villagers with various occupations, different sexes, ages, social status and years they have been living in the village (before and after establishment of the North Mara Gold Mine).Accordingly, Paradis et al. (2016) view FGD as useful in examining perceptions, experiences and understandings of a group of people with common experience on the issue under study.Through FGDs, the researcher gained insights into community members' perception, opinions and experience on CSR practices and their awareness on CSR.
Content analysis and descriptive statistics were employed to analyse data and information captured on CSR practices implemented by North Mara Gold Mine and community awareness on CSR.The data were categorized, coded and grouped into key themes as well as sub-themes for interpretation.Thereafter, the data were analysed and interpreted in themes simultaneously with many expressed voices from respondents some of which are presented as respondents' statements.Paradis et al. (2016) and Maliganya (2020) argue that use of content analysis helps to interpret as well as construct meanings from the text and enables systematic classification and identification of themes or patterns.Also, data were analysed by computing descriptive statistics to determine frequencies, statistical means, averages and percentages.

Community Awareness on CSR
Community awareness on the North Mara Company CSR was examined.Results revealed that 78.7% of the respondents were aware with the Corporate Social Responsibility practices (Figure 1).Only 10.9% respondents were not aware with Corporate Social Responsibility (Figure 1).This implies that respondents had adequate knowledge of Corporate Social Responsibility introduced by the mine company.These findings are in line with Sagabho (2021) who found that majority of the respondents were aware of the Corporate Social Responsibility conducted by the mining companies in their areas.Fulgence (2016) found that the Corporate Social Responsibility awareness and practice in Tanzania has been increasing at a significant rate, despite the fact that there are a lot of challenges which hinder its promotion.The company leaders when interviewed, indicated that they were aware of the CSR and that the company had an existing CSR Policy that was guiding their CSR activities.It was found through company leaders that the company was required to practise Corporate Social Responsibility to improve the wellbeing of people around the mine as stipulated in the country's policy and laws.This suggests that currently, Corporate Social Responsibility is a well-known practice and many organizations practice Corporate Social Responsibility around the areas of their operations.

Community Members' Understanding on the meaning of CSR
Respondents were further asked to explain in simple words what Corporate Social Responsibility was all about.The findings revealed that 238 respondents, corresponding to 66.5% of the total respondents were able to define and explain ideally with examples what Corporate Social Responsibility meant.In contrast, 120 respondents, equivalent to 33.5% of the total respondents failed to give a short definition and explanation of what Corporate Social Responsibility meant.These findings suggest that some of the respondents had adequate knowledge on the meaning of Corporate Social Responsibility but some of them needed to be informed about the Corporate Social Responsibility.During focus group discussions some of the participants failed to define while others were able to define and give short explanations of what Corporate Social Responsibility meant.FGD participants stated that there was lack of clear understanding of the meaning of CSR to some of the people and that it was often mixed up with other practices of charity as well as public relations.The findings indicate that majority of the key informants were able to define and explain shortly the meaning of Company Corporate Social Responsibility.The company leaders involved in the study defined Corporate Social Responsibility as a practice of the company to set aside part of its earnings to assist the communities around the mine and its workers as well as contribute to society including mining employees' wellbeing.Village, ward and district leaders defined Corporate Social Responsibility as company obligations towards the community living around the mine in improving their wellbeing.The District Community Development Officer defined Corporate Social Responsibility as follows: "Corporate social responsibility simply means company obligations towards community members around the mine.The company has to balance its benefits, the communities' wellbeing and the environment."(Interview with Tarime District Community Development Officer, 07/04/2022).
These findings are in line with Kilave (2017) and Ebnmhana (2018) who found that majority of people in Africa were able to provide the meaning of Corporate Social Responsibility.

Types of CSR Practices introduced by North Mara Gold Mine in the study area
The respondents were asked whether or not North Mara Gold Mine was implementing any Corporate Social Responsibility projects around their areas.The findings indicated that 329 respondents, equal to 91.9% of the total respondents agreed that there were Corporate Social Responsibility projects implemented by the North Mara Gold Mine in the study area, while only 29 respondents, equivalent to 8.1% of the respondents said there were no any Corporate Social Responsibility projects implemented (Table 1).This study findings suggest that the North Mara Gold Mine practice Corporate Social Responsibility around the areas of their operations.The company leaders when asked whether or not the North Mara Gold Mine was implementing any Corporate Social Responsibility practices, the Mining Community Relations Manager reported that the company provides Corporate Social Responsibility to the local communities annually as per the Mining Act [CAP.123 R.E.2019] Section 105.Further, the company uses about US$ 2 to 3 million each year on Corporate Social Responsibility.The Ministry of Minerals official reported that North Mara Gold Mine was implementing Corporate Social Responsibility practices by supporting communities living nearby the mine in aspects of education, roads, sanitation facilities, health and environmental conservation.Similar findings have been reported by Moritz et al. (2017) and Musimu (2019) who found that majority of mining companies were incurring substantial CSR practices expenditure on social services while relative low expenditure was being incurred to support microfinance, Youth and HIV/AIDS programmes.
The respondents were asked to mention all the Corporate Social Responsibility projects introduced by the North Mara Gold Mine to support the communities' wellbeing (Figure 2).

Support on Health services
Health services are among the social services needed by communities.The majority, 310 respondents, equivalent to 86.5% of the respondents said they were receiving health services from the mine CSR practices (Figure 2).It was further reported during the focus group discussion that the mining company had constructed dispensaries, health centres, patients' wards, mortuaries, theatre and operating rooms, toilets, health workers' houses, rehabilitated buildings and provided other health service-related support through Corporate Social Responsibility (Table 2).It was reported during the focus group discussion that availability of health services near the communities is of a great importance for ensuring communities' easy access to health services and promotes communities' wellbeing.One male FGD participant from Genkuru Village supporting this statement, narrated that: "Construction of the health centre by the mine has helped us a lot as we do not need to walk a long distance looking for medical services.Also, children and maternal deaths are reduced.The doctors stay in staff houses near the health centre such that it is easy to access services even at midnight.The North Mara Gold Mine has made our lives safer and healthy than before."(FGD at Genkuru Village, 14/04/2022).
It was further reported by North Mara Gold mining Community Relations Manager during interviews that the company had contributed to the improvement of health for employees, their families and the communities around the mine.It was helping more than 100,000 people living around the mine to have more access to health by supporting different health projects.The company had used more than 1.2 billion Tanzanian shillings (US$517,200) for improving health services in all villages around the mine between 2016 and 2019.These findings are similar to those studies by Brew et al. (2015) and Igogo (2020) who found that healthcare services are the main area of CSR focus for many companies and a very important sector for improving the wellbeing of community.

Support on Education services
The study results indicate that 282 respondents, equivalent to 78.8% of the respondents were benefiting from the educational support provided by the North Mara Gold Mine as part of the CSR initiatives (Figure 2).It was found during the focus group discussions that the North Mara Gold Mine was supporting the education sector around the mine by building and renovating schools as well as building teachers' houses, hostels, laboratories, pit latrines and study scholarships to orphans and children from poor households.Similarly, the company provided educational materials to schools such as desks, chairs, books to facilitate the learning environment (Table 3).It was reported during the focus group discussion that the company supported the youth who completed school to study different courses required in the mine such as electricity, auto electrical installation, mechanics, welding and machine operations in the Vocational Education and Training Authority (VETA) and at different universities.The company employed them in the mine after they completed their studies.The study found that at the household level, the company provided study scholarship, disability education support and study material support.The company supported orphans and children coming from poor families to go to school by providing school fees and school requirements such as uniforms, pocket money, books and other requirements.
It was reported by North Mara Community Trust Fund Officer that the company supports students from poor families and orphans found in the communities living around the mine.Since 2019, the company has paid fees, clothing, study materials, transportation and medical expenses for a total of 916 students.This year of study (2021/2022), full sponsorship was provided to 83 advanced level students, 184 certificate and diploma students and 349 Bachelor degree students who are studying in different high schools, colleges and universities.On the same note, one the FGD participants was quoted during the discussion held in Kerende Village as appreciating the North Mara mine's efforts with regard to education: "North Mara company has done a very good job in the education sector by building classrooms, teachers' houses as well as paying school fees for needy children.Every member in our community is happy about their support in." (FGD at Kerende Village, 14/04/2022).
It was reported by the mine Community Relations Manager that the company was also supporting several education trust funds such as Ikupa and Association for Termination of Female Genital Mutilation (ATFGM) which were providing school fees and school materials for young girls.These findings are in line with those reported by Mahenge (2020) who revealed that CSR of mining companies focus on supporting education services in areas close to the mine.

Support on Roads and Transport Infrastructure
It was mentioned by 71.2% of the respondents that North Mara Gold Mine Corporate Social Responsibility assisted on roads and transport infrastructure (Figure 2).The focus group discussion participants reported that the company constructed a five kilometers tarmac road at Nyamongo town and it has been doing maintenance to the local and feeder roads, which are used by the mine company as well as the nearby communities for transportation.It was further reported that the company was conducting dust suppression to reduce the red-dust by sprinkling water every day in the morning to the roads near the mine main gate and few other roads at Kewanja ward and Nyangoto town centre.The interviews with the company Community Relations Manager indicated that from the year 2019 to 2020, the company used 198 million Tanzanian shillings (US$85,340) for dust suppression at Nyangoto and Kewanja wards.
During the interview with company Community Relations Manager, it was reported that the company has been financing village road maintenance in all villages surrounding the mine yearly, improve feeder roads connecting villages and between 2016 and 2021, the company used about 5.5 million Tanzanian shillings (US$2,370) for maintenance.The local roads were being maintained using local contractors from the area, who employed hundreds of people from within the mine vicinity.During key interviews with ward and village leaders, majority of them expressed their dissatisfaction with the company's CSR when it came to road services.They reported that the company had only been maintaining the roads that had a direct impact on their operations but, paying little attention to other community roads.

Employment
Employment was mentioned by 58.5% of the total respondents as one of the Corporate Social Responsibility practices the communities were receiving from the company (Figure 2).It was reported during the focus group discussion that the company had employed individual local people, local groups and companies to work with it.Many of those employed were employed as unskilled workers such as security guards, flagmen (the one who allow people and cars to pass when the company machines were not passing), drivers, cleaners and construction laborers.Besides, local companies were given sub-contracts in mining activities, food provision, cleanliness, waste management, office requirements and other services required by the company and workers.The participants said that company needs to employ many people from the communities around the mine and not the outsiders.It was also found during the FGD that few local people were employed as skilled workers especially those who were sponsored by the mine to study at universities and technical colleges.This was explained clearly by FGD participants who reported that: "Between 2010 and 2018, the mine was employing young people who were sponsored by the mine to study electrical, mechanics, mine engineering and several other skills in universities as well as colleges.Those who were sponsored were children from poor families and orphans."(FGD at Nyamwaga Village, 12/05/2022).
According to North Mara Gold mining Community Relations Manager, the mine developed skills of 4,800 workers and provided over 2,000 jobs to local people between 2019-2022.Community Engagement Officer reported that: "The company also sub-contracts local contractors to conduct CSR activities such as construction of classrooms, training of local people on business and mining skills and wells drilling.Such companies are Galaxy, Magahu, Nyamongo Contractors, PKM, Waracha, RES, Nyamosi, RIN, AZAN, Magale, Kemanyaki, Masoy, Gokona Limited and others."(Interview with the Mine Community Relations Manager, 15/07/ 2022).
These findings are in agreement with Brew et al. (2015) and Shoo (2020) who found that mining companies were recruiting some of their employees from the local labour markets something that was promoting good relationship with the community.Nawanda (2021) reported that the wages obtained from the mine by local community laborer's enable people to meet their daily requirements, reduce the crime rate and improve living standards.Chuhan-Pole et al. (2017) found that in Tanzania, employees of large-scale mining firms were mostly nationals, not necessarily from within the locality.

Support on Water Services
Support on water services were mentioned by 63.7% of the total respondents as one of the Corporate Social Responsibility services received by the communities around the mine from the mine company (Figure 2).The focus group discussion participants acknowledged support from the mine company for provision of water services and demanded more assistance through CSR.They reported that the company had constructed three hand water pumps in Nyangoto ward and two in Nyamwaga ward.Also, the company drilled one deep well at Kewanja village in Kemambo ward, which was no longer providing water.A total of eleven deep wells were drilled in Matongo and Nyangoto wards although only seven of them were still giving out water.In Nyangoto ward, the company supplies portable water by using water trucks every day to thirteen water points (sim tanks) found in the ward.The North Mara Gold mining Community Relations Manager was interviewed on provision of water services to villages around the mine.He reported that: "In addressing the problem of water shortage in the area, the company has been delivering free water using tanker trucks every day to villages surrounding the North Mara Gold Mine, the schools and health centers.Between 2019 and 2020, 97.2 million Tanzanian shillings (US$41,900) were used for water supply."(Interview with the Mine Community Relations Manager, 15/07/2022).
It was found through key informant interviews with the mine Community Engagement Officer that the company built the water treatment plant in 2019 where water is made clean and safe for human consumption.She reported that the project was worth one billion Tanzanian shillings (US$431,000) and, on its completion (it was not yet completed at the time) the project will provide water to 70,000 people in proximity to the North Mara Mine.It was found during the key informant interviews with the village and ward leaders that despite efforts made done by the company to supply water, all the study area had water shortage.People were still using water from wells and Tighite River, which was unsafe and unclean.This was clearly reported by Kewanja Village chairman that: "Although the company is supplying water to our villages by using their trucks, water is still a problem in our areas.The North Mara Mine will assist us to have a water pipeline from Lake Victoria to all villages around the mine."(Interview with Kewanja Village Chairman, Kemambo Ward, 03/04/2022).
The village report documents revealed the contract signed between the company and the five villages of Kerende, Genkuru, Nyangoto Kewanja and Nyamwaga, which had surrendered their mining licences that the company agreed, among other things, to ensure availability of water (through digging deep wells, constructing hand water pumps, installing pumping machines and water pipe from Lake Victoria and river Mori).However, as it was reported that the company had provided water in few areas around the mine.In that regard the company leaders were asked on the shortage of water in villages around the mine, the Mine Community Relations Manager reported: "It is true some of the areas around the mine have water problem, but currently, there is construction of water project through CSR fund, which will supply water in the four villages of Matongo, Nyangoto, Nyabichune and Mjini Kati." (Interview with the Mine Community Relations Manager, 15/07/ 2022).

Support on Income Generating Activities (IGAs)
About 9.7% of the total respondents mentioned that the communities were receiving support on income generating activities (Figure 2).The respondents said that the company was supporting the community groups and Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOS) to assist the community members get out of poverty.These results were supported by explanations given by Tarime District Community Development Officer who reported that the company had supported the community-based groups who as a result managed to engage themselves in business, agriculture and other activities such as hydro form bricks making, dairy and poultry keeping, fish pond projects and green house projects.Other groups supported by the Corporate Social Responsibility funds were those dealing with food vending, carpentry and small businesses.During the interview with the Mine Community Relations Manager, it was found that between 2016 and 2019, the company supported 21 projects owned by community member groups, who were provided with 66.5 million Tanzanian shillings (US$28,662).The projects aimed at empowering people especially the youth with different skills so that they could be self-employed and therefore sustain their wellbeing.It was found that the mine had established the North Mara Local Business Development Programme, which was supporting and empowering the Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) around the mine.It was conducting workshops and giving mentorships to build the communities' capabilities on how to take advantage of the opportunities in the mining sector.In the year 2021, the programme conducted training to members of 15 local companies.
During the focus group discussions, the participants reported that several community groups and SACCOS were being supported by the North Mara Gold Mine.The same statements were given by the ward and village leaders as well as the District Community Development Officer.It was revealed that most of community self-help groups and SACCOS were given 2 million Tanzanian shillings (US$862,000) by the company through the Tarime District Council to work on their proposed business plans.Also, every time the villages were receiving the CSR money, 10 percent was dedicated to community groups and SACCOS.Such community groups and SACCOS are indicated in Table 4.It was further explained during focus group discussions that households, especially those formed self-help groups received income generating activities support.They received financial support, loan for businesses development, agriculture and business training.They were trained on entrepreneurship (products value addition, market link and product branding skills), Agriculture and mining related skills.The company funded organized workshops to engage the local business community.It was reported that the mine provides skills to local company's suppliers.It organizes suppliers' meetings every year where the company provides details on the type of services and products needed, priorities and standards including the bidding procedures to be followed by bidders.The mine Community Engagement Officer reported that the company was implementing training and skills development programs and provides skills related Corporate social responsibility, when she reported: "The company is investing money to educate and train local people on value addition on raw materials, entrepreneurship skills, mining related skills and other human development skills.The company is providing new wellbeing opportunities through such training on skills development to local communities."(Interview with the Mine Community Engagement Officer, 15/07/2022).

Provision of Markets for Local products
About one-third of the total respondents, corresponding to 33.3% said the mining company was providing markets for vegetables, fruits and other local products (Figure 2).It was found during key informant interviews with mining company Community Relations Manager that the local company called AKO Group Limited was the main supplier and provider of food and beverage (caterer) to the mine company.The company was giving tenders to local companies and groups who were formally registered to supply vegetables, poultry, meat, eggs, fish, fruits and other locally available food items.Several local companies and groups who obtained tenders from AKO Group Limited mentioned by the mine Community Relations Manager were Ukimwa Group, Ingwewan Group, Menmart Company, Emma Industry, Pemma and Robert Company and Bentui Investment Company.
The provision of markets for local products such as food drinks and food stuffs (fruits, vegetables, drinking water, meat, poultry, sugar, eggs), stationaries (papers, pens) and spare parts for machines was also evidenced during the interview by the company project leaders.The Mine Community Engagement Officer reported that, local companies were given sub-contracts by the North Mara Gold Mine to supply and assist in different company activities.Other local engineering companies were working with North Mara Mine to expand mining operations.For instance, Mara Regency company, Timbo Construction Company and Rin Company were dealing with construction and labour supply to the mine, Kenyaintanka Company Limited was dealing with mining, Keng'anya Enterprises Limited (KEL) and Nyamongo Contractors were dealing with construction of buildings and roads.

Conclusions
The study findings indicate a discernible upward trend in corporate social responsibility (CSR) awareness and implementation within Tanzania.Consequently, there exists a pressing necessity to enhance community education and awareness regarding the fundamental principles of CSR, its significance, and the diverse responsibilities assumed by various stakeholders in the context of CSR practices.The study's findings offer empirical support for the significance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies in enhancing the overall welfare of communities.This is achieved through the provision of support in areas such as education, healthcare, entrepreneurial skills, local product marketplaces, and various other services.First and foremost, it is advisable for mining firms to enhance their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts by allocating greater resources towards public social services, including but not limited to water infrastructure, road development, and energy provision.Additionally, it is crucial for these companies to amplify their assistance towards community-based income-generating initiatives.Additionally, it is recommended that the mining corporation establish a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Foundation, which would be registered as a separate entity.The foundation will demonstrate a strong dedication to corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, overseen by a board of directors responsible for governing its operations, as well as managing revenue generation and ensuring appropriate allocation of funds towards CSR endeavors.These initiatives will enhance the scope of corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and their significant influence on the development of communities.There exists a necessity for collaborative endeavors among governmental bodies, nongovernmental organizations, stakeholders, and the wider populace in order to enhance the efficacy of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
The findings of this investigation just encompassed a mining enterprise, North Mara Gold Mine, which is partially controlled by the government.Hence, it is recommended that additional research be undertaken to investigate the quantity of state-owned mining enterprises in Tanzania and similar emerging nations.This study aims to enhance comprehension regarding the impact of state-owned mining corporations on the overall welfare of local communities.

Figure 1 :
Figure 1: Community awareness on Corporate Social Responsibility; Source: Field Survey, 2022 The results above were supported by key informant interview conducted by government and company leaders.Nearly all (except one key informant) were aware with Corporate Social Responsibility practices.They have heard about Corporate Social Responsibility and were aware of the Corporate Social Responsibility practices.Regarding this the Ward Executive Officer from Kemambo reported: "I am aware with Corporate Social Responsibility, although some of the people know Corporate Social Responsibility as a favour the mine provides to communities and not a must-practice.Knowledge and awareness on the Corporate Social Responsibility is not well provided to the communities."(Interview with Kemambo Ward Executive Officer, 03/04/2022).

Figure 2 :
Figure 2: Type of CSR Practices introduced by the Mine company; Source: Field Survey, 2022

Table 1 :
Availability of CSR Practices in the Study Area (N=358)

Table 2 :
Health services provided as CSR Practices

Table 3 :
Support provided on Education Services

Table 4 :
Community groups and SACCOS supported by the Company