The Cost of Cobalt has worked exclusively with leading NGO, pact, to have candid conversations with four former child miners about their experiences in artisanal cobalt mines in the DRC.
Here's what Judith had to say...
Hello! My name is Judith. I am 16 years old. My parents are farmers, and I was born into a family of 11 children, including 7 girls. I started going to Musompo Maison's quarry in 2015, hoping that it would enable me to earn enough money to lead a better life. There, as I couldn't manage to collect minerals as initially planned, I decided to sell water in bags. I earned between 4,000 FC and 5,000 FC a day. I was sensitised in 2020 by members of the neighbourhood committee and decided to leave the mine.
What was it like working in the mines?
Working in the mines is really useless: to earn 4000 FC, you work as if it were a punishment. And this money is only used for food and clothes. I really have a bad memory of the mines; it is an environment full of diseases, infections, rudeness, without clean water and there are many accidents.
How did working in the mine make you feel?
When I worked in the mines, I felt very tired, exhausted, and worthless because any man would come to me and try to sleep with me, regardless of my age.
What was an average day like working in the mine?
A day in the mines is like a day in a war; you are like a soldier. When you work in the mines, you have trouble sleeping; you wake up in the early morning and finish late at night. You work without rest; you are not at school. A day in the mines is a moment of suffering, where you are not respected.
How do you think the issue of child labour can be addressed/changed?
In terms of solutions, my advice would be to remove all the children who are found in the mines and help them get an education or enter a vocational training curriculum. Increase the number of children supported in learning centres and empower parents to diversify their resources and care for their children.
What are you doing now that you’ve been through the program? What new skills have you learnt and what are your plans for the future?
As for me, I have finished my apprenticeship in tailoring, and I sew clothes. At the same time, I am going back to school and am in 4th grade of tailoring professional school. I pay my school fees (35,000 FC) myself because I already earn money as a seamstress. I also try to put aside 3,000 FC per day, which I entrust to my mother.
My ambition is to become a great seamstress and quality trainer in this field.