Faces of child miners in small-scale mining
Photos of Leonard Reyes and AC Dimatatac for BAN Toxics
On a steep mountain top, a team led by BAN Toxics stands around a young boy, a small-scale miner. The team is there to interview child laborers to understand their experiences in mining. As they prepare to talk to the boy, Fred, he looks down shyly and squirms slightly in front of the cameras. Some mud dries on his face… evidence of the work he had been doing in a compressor mining area just a few minutes before.
One of the team members asks, “Punasan ba dapat natin yung konting putik sa mukha niya? Medyo halata sa video eh.”
Fred replies, “’Wag na po. Okay na po ‘yan. Ito naman po ang tunay na itsura ng pagkakabod.”
What an eye opener this statement was. Fred wanted to show the reality that child miners experience and the truth behind the hardships that they go through. What follows are short glimpses into their stories… a small peek at the true faces of child miners.
In these small-scale mining communities, gold touches everyone’s lives. Adults, the elderly, the children… almost everyone has been involved in gold mining; it is their way of life.
“Lolo ko, nagkakabod… sina lola, mga tiyo. Ang buhay dito ay magkakabod, walang iba. Si mama, nagkakabod rin ‘pag walang-wala [kaming pera].” – Fred, 13
But the stories of these children start with poverty. Families in these small-scale mining communities have to work hard and put in long hours to generate enough income simply to survive. Parents and older siblings work under difficult conditions and are exposed to various risks to their lives and overall health. This is the day-to-day struggle of small-scale miners.
“Sa tuwing makikita ko ang aking tatay na nagta-trabaho doon [sa minahan], makikita ko ang awa kasi dugo’t pawis talaga ang binubuhos [niya] doon para lang makahanap ng pera para makapagtapos lang kami ng pag-aaral. Minsan nga, kung manghingi ako ng pera sa kanya para pambili ng project, wala siyang maibigay sa akin kasi wala nga kaming pera.” – Lita, 14
At a young age, these children witness the difficulties their parents go through to feed them and put them through school. Many of them feel the need to alleviate the pressure of poverty on their parents’ shoulders by taking on work themselves.
“Nu’ng bata kasi ako, parang binigyan na ako ng knowledge ni God na ganito, na hindi mo kailangang umasa sa parents mo kasi kung tutuusin, may magagawa naman ako. So ayun [pagta-trabaho] ang ginawa ko.” – Chris, 19
Because mining is the most accessible job in these areas and some of these mine sites are not regulated well, many children are able to participate in various kinds of mining work, such as the crushing of rocks, sluicing and panning. Some children are even involved in the more dangerous work of entering mine shafts, tunnels and muddy pits which are quite deep and dark.
“Nakakatakot po ‘pag napasok sa balon. Minsan nakakatakot at baka mahulog.” – Emman, 17
Children endure the pain of the heavy work of mining… anything for their family’s needs. Their hands are scarred from sifting through sharp rocks; their fingernails are worn down from pulling heavy sacks and digging through dirt. Their bodies are marked with wounds but also with undeniable strength that comes from the burden their bodies have carried.
“‘Yung sari-saring sakit na pagkatapos ko lumabas galing sa loob ng tunnel: ‘yung sakit sa aking mga braso, sakit sa kamay… sa paghawak ng mowel, pagpukpok. Minsan nga, muntik na matamaan ‘yung kamay ko sa pagpukpok. Minsan nga, dumudugo pa iyan pero kaunting tiis nalang kasi nakasalalay pa rin d’yan ang buhay namin.” – Lita, 14
These children work under the heat of the sun or under the rain. They labor in the dark, under sharp rocks, with loose debris falling on them from time to time. The lack of air, the presence of dust, the use of chemicals. Landslides, tunnel collapses, failure of equipment. These are the many hardships and dangers that this line of work involves, and these children are very aware of them and choose to face them still.
“Once na pumasok ako sa minahan, iniisip ko: patay na ako, nailibing na ako nang buhay d’yan, kasi anytime, pwede iyong gumuho.” – Chris, 19
These are young children anywhere from 10 to 17… children who should be spending time with family and friends and playing freely like children should, instead of working in mines.
“Bihira lang [ako makapaglaro ng basketball], ‘pag wala lang kaming gawa d’yan [sa minahan]. ‘Pag may gawa naman po kami, hindi ako nakakapaglaro.” – Emman, 17
They should be studying in school, dreaming of what they want to become when they get older. Instead, some of them grow up simply dreaming of going to school. Other children do their best to pursue their education while also working in mines.
“Minsan kung mag-aral ako [o] kung mayroon akong assignment, dinadala ko pa rin doon [sa minahan] ang aking mga notebook para doon muna ako mag-aral. Tapos, kung makatapos ako ng pag-aaral [o] makagawa ng assignment, makakapasok agad ako sa loob [ng tunnel].” – Lita, 14
These children know the value of education and wish to finish school and have other job opportunities aside from mining. And if this is not possible for them, then they wish it for those they care about.
“[Ang pangarap ko para sa mga kapatid ko ay] makapagtapos [sila] ng pag-aaral. Huwag sa akin gumaya, para hindi nila maranasan ‘yung nararanasan ko ngayon.” – Fred, 13
These children continue to live in poverty and do what they can to help their families make ends meet. But they also continue to dream: to study until college, to become doctors, nurses, engineers and more.
To learn more about the experiences of small-scale mining communities and how we can help them achieve sustainability, visit http://bantoxics.org/artisanal-and-small-scale-mining/.
These interviews were conducted as part of work for the CARING-Gold project together with the International Labour Organization. BAN Toxics visited small-scale mining communities in Camarines Norte and South Cotabato to conduct discussions with miners to understand the experiences and challenges that they face, including poor working conditions, child labor and exposure to chemicals. The interview subjects in this story were all current or former child laborers.
BAN Toxics works in communities such as those in Camarines Norte and South Cotabato to promote responsible artisanal and small-scale mining through mercury-free methods and the establishment of sustainable mining business models. BAN Toxics also seeks to work with the community in improving local capacity and organizing community members, women and children.
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