Mining companies are booming in Africa, does using child labour to achieve this success justify their means? Globally, more than one million children are doing artisanal mining-poisonous work on the margins of the industry. Among the countries which face child labour are Congo, Mali, Nigeria and Tanzania. Coming from a place where gold is mined in Africa; I know the risks miners face. In Congo for instance, about 800,000 children toil in toxic open pits to haul copper or zinc in order to obtain tiny incomes. This is unethical for the mining companies, to benefit from the mines but show little interest in addressing child labour.

Mines expose children to poisoning and respiratory diseases at a tender age. As demonstrated by the disaster in Congo last week, many children lost their lives to falls, cave-ins and collapsed tunnels. The police ignore this illegal labour yet make efforts to enforce the law. So, what is their law?

A thousand of children suffer intoxication from dangerously high levels of mercury gas in mining towns while companies get rich, sad. There is hope as UNICEF-child Protection organization is providing subsidies to curb the rising child labour. My analysis, mining companies should set regulations to eliminate child labour. Show some humanity!

References:

http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/1033811415?accountid=14656

http://search.proquest.com/docview/1033811415