Community Mercury Exposure Checklist for Wayana Villages🌐Translate

Pitch

Written by the team. Not an investment offer and not advice.

Problem

Wayana families along Suriname’s Lawa River face health issues from mercury used in illegal gold mining. A checklist project could help track and reduce exposure risks.

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What they are building

A printed checklist form, distributed to 10 volunteer households in one Wayana village, coordinated by a local leader or health worker. The pilot will run for 2 months, with monthly collection and review meetings. Unvalidated hypothesis; full brief: /blog/in-suriname-s-amazon-the-wayana-community-strugg-2026-11-02 Source: Link

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Who it is for

Wayana community members, especially those involved in fishing, hunting, or using river water, and local leaders interested in tracking health risks.

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Why it matters

Whether a structured checklist increases awareness of mercury risks and helps identify exposure patterns compared to informal observation or no tracking. Proposed validation: Proposed pilot target: At least 70% of participating households complete the checklist for both months. Baseline: No structured tracking. Success measured by checklist return rate and a brief survey on awareness before and after, over 2 months.

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