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Studying is worth a gem for some kids
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-26 07:52
Under the watchful eye of security guards, boys and girls dig for diamonds in illegal mines of eastern Sierra Leone to pay for their own schooling and put food on the family table. Some children as young as 10 walk several kilometers a day to attend school and work in mining pits under scorching heat, lured by money from mine owners who keep the gems. "We provide the money and get these boys to work for their living. Is it not a fair deal?" said the Senegalese owner of one mine. Government figures put the number of underage miners at more than 600, but experts say it could be three times higher. "We work on commission where we go to the pits after school and get about 3,000 leones ($1) after four to five hours work digging and sifting for diamonds," a 10-year-old girl said. "For us this is a huge sum. It gets us by to pay school fees, buy textbooks and have meals for a couple of days." Many kids in the mines are working to pay for their schooling, said social welfare worker Mariama Sesay. "We have been trying to get them off the mines but it has been an uphill struggle. The illegal miners are tempting them with money and promising them paradise on Earth," she said. Many children do not speak to strangers "for fear of losing their job", she said. The child miners are watched by illegal guards who make sure the children do not hide or swallow the gems they find. "We work in a gang of mostly 7-12 year olds. Sometimes we find diamonds, but these are quickly snatched by the guards," said Lansana, a 10-year-old who says he is already a veteran miner of two years. "We are told we are employed only to dig and sift. Whatever is found is no concern of ours." Although child labour is illegal in Sierra Leone, the legislation is poorly enforced and the police can sometimes be bribed. Many children also say that they must work because their families are simply too poor to support them. "I would go to bed hungry if I miss one day (of digging)," said Momodu, who goes to a secondary school in Koidu. "My father died during the civil war (in 2000) and my mother resides in Kenema (also in the east), but she is could not pay my school fees. I decided to come to Koidu so that I can earn some money." Momodu walks 6 km from his house in the town of Sefadu to Koidu every day to attend classes in the morning. "I am always tired and sleep mostly during classes. After school, I take off my uniform and head for the mines wearing tattered clothes," he said. "It's an ordeal." The illegal mine owners pay hush money to the children to stop them reporting accidents like avalanches at the mines, Momodu said. The Sierra Leone government has teamed up with organizations like the International Rescue Commission (IRC) to try to get the children out of the mines. "The initiative is designed to help kids attend school regularly, but regrettably many of them sneak to the mines," said an IRC worker who requested anonymity. |
