Ezekiel, a gold mining child.
Ezekiel, 12, a Central African refugee works on an artisanal mining site in Kette, about thirty kilometers from Batouri, a departmental town located in the East region.
The mining site was recently discovered by gold diggers. A village was quickly created around the mine. Straw huts sprouted like mushrooms. Small businesses too. Drinking spots and grocery stores have opened up here and there in order to meet the needs of the hundreds of workers who have come to settle near the gold field.
A hundred children like Ezekiel represent a significant workforce in this artisanal exploitation which relies on rudimentary techniques. Their job is to dig in wells over 15 meters deep to find the earth containing the gold. This work is done manually, with bare feet and hands, using pickaxes and shovels. Very often, landslides occur, burying the occupants of the gold pit. Once the soil is out of the pit, the soil containing the gold is then transported to the wash tank. In the wash tank it is necessary to wash the gold with mercury and this with bare hands. The mixture is then burned to separate the gold, while inhaling the highly toxic fumes.
Once the gold is found, it is sold to collectors who come to buy it on the spot.
Ezekiel thus puts his life and his health in danger to bring revenue for his family and to help pay for his school fees.
Indeed, unlike most of the children working in this gold mine, Ezekiel is fortunate enough to go to school. He works mainly during school holidays and weekends.
Between 2017 and 2019, at least 115 children and adults drowned or were buried alive by landfalls in the mostly abandoned pits in the East and Adamawa regions of Cameroon, according to Forests and Rural Development.
Thousands of school-age children continue to work in the mines, despite a decision by the Minister of Mines, Industry and Technological Development (Minmidt), prohibiting the access of minor children to mining sites. “From the date of signature of this decision, the access of minor children to exploration and mining sites throughout the national territory, as well as any form of work in the country, is strictly prohibited”, said the Minister.
The Minister specifies that any operator holding a mining title contravening the provisions of this decision is liable to the penalties provided for by the texts in force without prejudice to the administrative penalties provided for by the Mining Code and related texts.
In addition to advocacy actions, UNICEF relies on Community Based Child Protection-RECOPE- to identify and monitor child labor in their respective communities. The members of these committees are trained on what child labor is and its impacts, legal provisions under existing laws, international labor standards and child rights. This led them to develop their own child labor inspection and referral process and engaging with potential institutions to which children can be referred to meet their needs. RECOPE monitors households through the community facilitator and identified children at risk are provided support by peer mentors.
By Salomon Marie Joseph Beguel, Communication Officer UNICEF Cameroon
