A Poisonous Mix - Human Rights Watch

I pull the buckets up…. It hurts in the arms and back. When it hurts I take a
break.... I once took some traditional medicine for the pain in my arms, but
it did not really help. 101
Lansana K., a 13 -year-old boy who digs shafts and pulls up heavy buckets, complained:
It is really difficult. It can make you sick.... I have already had headaches.… I
also sometimes have back pain, shoulder pain, and muscle pain generally. 102
Once the ore has been pulled out of the shaft, it has to be transported to places where it is
bagged for storage or crushed, ground, and panned. Most workers—adults and children—
carry the ore on their shoulders, while some others use small carts to transport the load.
Several boys interviewed complained about pain from transporting ore. One of them was
15-year-old Djibril C., who said:
It's very difficult—it’s very heavy. I carry it [the ore] on my shoulders and
head all day long. Sometimes I take a break to eat. I have had pain in my
shoulders and chest since I started working there [two months ago]. 103
Another boy, who was 14 years old, told us that he transported the ore from the shaft to the
place where it is put into sacks. Although he used a cart with a donkey for this, he said he
often felt stiff from lifting weight and being bent over, concluding: “I feel that the work is
too much for me.” 104
Some children also carry heavy loads of water in the mines, mostly for use in gold panning
(and sometimes for drinking). This is mostly done by girls and poses the same health
problems as other transport work. 105
Crushing Ore
Hard and rocky ore must be crushed and ground before it can be panned for gold. When
crushing machines and mills for grinding are available, miners rent them to break and
101 Human Rights Watch interview with Karim S., estimated age 14, Worognan, April 8, 2011.
102 Human Rights Watch interview with Lansana K., 13, Baroya, April 3, 2011.
103 Human Rights Watch interview with Djibril C., estimated age 15, Worognan, April 8, 2011.
104 Human Rights Watch interview with Boubacar S., estimated age 14, Sensoko, April 4, 2011.
105 Human Rights Watch interview with Anne M., age 11, Baroya, April 3, 2011; Human Rights Watch interview with Susanne D.,
age 11, Worognan, April 8, 2011; ILO, Girls in Mining. Research Findings from Ghana, Niger, Peru, and United Republic of
Tanzania, (Geneva: ILO 2007), pp. 3-5.
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