What is the connection between Tongxiang, China- based Zheijang Cobalt Co. and Mbuji-Mayi capital city of Kasai Oriental in Democratic Republic of Congo? Child labor. The brutal truth about modern slavery shows that 4 out of 10 children in the Mbuji- Mayi district are forced to crawl into the underground mines with their hands and knees to dig for the essential raw materials, “coltan” needed to make electronic gadgets.

This rare columbium tantalite black gold, that Tongxiang Cobalt Co. provides to Sony Corp. Nokia Oyi and Samsung Electronics Co, to make our fancy cell phones, laptops, iPods, wireless systems, DVD players… is as a result of the calloused little hands of children under the age of 10 dug into dangerous mines of more than 100 feet. While these freelancers discover mines of coltan and diamond  worth millions of dollars everyday, they earn 20 cents a day that they not only use to buy food but also take care of the younger siblings. Hence one wonders what the cost of technology? What is one ready to do in the name of business? Can one justify child labor as Zheijang Huayou’s Zhain responded while asked about the child labor accusation “I’ve never been to Congo, so I don’t know the mines.” Whether you ‘been to Congo or you are the Congolese government itself the reality is that you ignored Geneva- based International Labor Organization and as a result more than two million children have died in the mining companies for the last  ten years.

For many, personal interest comes before morality in business. However I believe that whoever pronounces this sentence, wouldn’t want to be at the place of the person suffering for his sleep. Therefore, its time, we learn to know the difference between what we have the right to do and what is right to do.