40,000 children work as artisanal miners in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as reported by UNICEF. But as Paul Tregunna digs deeper, child labour in the region is a complex societal issue that can’t easily be solved with a ‘Western’ mindset.
By Paul Tregunna
Photographs by Sebastian Meyer
“You could die at any moment,” were the resentful reflections of a former child miner, who for the sake of this project will be referred to as Yannick, as they wish to remain anonymous.
The distance between England and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is some 6,800 miles, yet the years of dangerous manual labour were clearly worn on the backlit face that filled my laptop screen. It became clear as Yannick revealed the realities of his work, that each crease etched into his skin was seemingly a story of hardship, or a memory best kept forgotten.
“I was exploited by adults and I am angry,” Yannick continued through a temperamental internet connection. The real agonies of child labour were explained to me as I sat in the comfort of my Bournemouth home. At just 15-years-old, Yannick worked 15-and-a-half hour days, 180 metres underground, for around 6,000 Congolese Francs a week.
That’s the equivalent of £2.23 a week.
Or just 32p a day.
“And that’s if you were lucky enough to come out at all,” an agitated Yannick exclaimed. His sorrow-filled eyes glancing frequently away from the camera, and back again, before stopping and explaining, “I joined the mines with my brother and my friend. We were in the same team.
“When I finally left the mines for good, they did not.” He paused for what could have been no longer than a few seconds, but felt like a lifetime of hurt, and sighed before continuing the interview.
But why would Yannick, and the thousands of people like him, be forced to risk their life for as little as the average price of a franchise coffee?
Well, the simple answer might just be in your pocket.
Cobalt is the most important element you’ve probably never heard of, and yet it’s a vital component of the day-to-day life we all take for granted.
I ask you, reader, what are you using to read this? A smartphone? A laptop? If so, YOU are a consumer.
And there’s no guarantee that cobalt wasn’t mined by a child.
The Problem
There are 2.71 billion people in the world who own a smartphone, which use rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries that are generally made using cobalt (although not essentially).
Citi expects cobalt demand to rise in 2021, and with prices averaging between $38,750 and $45,000 a tonne, the cobalt industry is reportedly worth around $5.9 billion.
It’s estimated that roughly 60% of the planet’s cobalt supply can be found in the DRC, producing 100,000 MT (Metric Tonnes) a year compared to the second highest producer, Russia (6,100 MT).
The DRC is a nation blessed with such an abundance of natural resources that has ultimately found itself cursed by its very own environmental marvel.
There are two ways of mining cobalt in the DRC, industrially and artisanally. Although the industrial mining sector in the region hasn’t always been perfect, it is in the artisanal mines where the problems regarding safety and child labour are rife.
The Journalist
Sebastian Meyer is a photojournalist who visited the DRC in 2018 to make a short film for Fortune Magazine.
Whilst filming, he was granted minimal access to a government controlled artisanal mine in the country’s Kolwezi region.
“First of all, artisanal mining is a term I absolutely despise,” vented the American reporter. “It makes it sound like you’ve gone to a café somewhere in East London for a croissant and an expensive cup of coffee. We just take the literal English translation from the DRC, and don’t think about the implications.”
Sebastian continued “It’s not artisanal; it’s work that is so dangerous you can die from it. People are disfigured, dismembered and are killed from doing this work. It’s not artisanal; it’s not a cup of coffee in Stoke Newington.”
And, as Yannick has experienced first-hand, that is the devastatingly harsh reality of artisanal mining:
“My brother and my friend…” the ex-miner continued before pausing again, this time touching his face as if he was trying to suppress any visible emotion – or potentially self-perceived weakness – “they both died working in the mine.”
On the surface, the solution seems relatively simple: take the children out of the mines.
Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. There are a number of factors that make resolution difficult.
The Expert
Mathy Stanislaus is the Interim Director at the Global Battery Alliance (GBA), a platform founded by the World Economic Forum in 2017 to help establish a sustainable battery value chain.
He acknowledges that there is no quick fix. “Until you find alternative livelihoods, it’s still going to be a problem.
“You can’t just wave your magic wand and say, ‘get children out of the mines.’ In fact, experience from people working on the ground tells us that simply doesn’t work.
“You have to build a whole infrastructure. You have to create training programmes, education programmes, and the alternative forms of income.
“This is a poverty issue, as well as an abuse issue,” Mathy stressed.
Organisations like the GBA are integral to ensuring that cobalt is responsibly sourced.
Last year they produced a set of ‘10 Principles for a Sustainable Battery Value Chain’, with principle eight focussing on eliminating child and forced labour.
However, two of the biggest companies in the world, Apple and Tesla, have previously come under scrutiny for using irresponsibly sourced cobalt. Both businesses responded to my request for comment by saying:
Apple: We don’t have the resources to support every request, but I can point you to this article which includes a comment of ours:
“Apple is deeply committed to the responsible sourcing of materials that go into our products. We’ve led the industry by establishing the strictest standards for our suppliers and are constantly working to raise the bar for ourselves, and the industry.”
While Tesla replied stating they will not comment at this time, they pointed me to resources which read:
“Tesla recognises the higher risks of human rights issues within cobalt supply chains, particularly for child labour in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we have made a significant effort to establish processes to remove these risks from our supply chain. We also recognise that mining conducted in a responsible and ethical manner is an important part of the economic and social well-being of those communities. We review all information provided by our suppliers for red flags and risks associated with ethical sourcing.”
Yannick composed himself for another brief moment, the pain of losing two of the people closest to him had not eased with the time that had passed since their deaths. Before telling me stories of children getting crushed and adults drinking alcohol and smoking drugs, where the fumes were impossible to avoid.
The Charity
One of the organisations on the ground working to find a sustainable and beneficial solution to the issue is leading children’s charity UNICEF.
They acknowledge that there’s more to the issue than children being forced to mine. “When I first visited an artisanal mine site, I saw a three-year-old walking around,” explained Mining Partnerships Co-ordinator, Daniella Savic. After asking the child’s mother if she was aware of the risks, she explained to Daniella that she had nowhere else to leave him.
“We only look at child labour, but we often lack the analysis of why it is happening. UNICEF have understood that first of all we need to ensure that the mining communities have access to basic social services.” Daniella continued, “May it be a day nursery system, or primary and secondary education, or vaccinations and nutrition.”
Daniella then stressed the need for birth registration in the DRC, “It may sound unrealistic, because we in the ‘developed’ countries have established systems. But here, you have a lot of people who do not have an identity. Who have never been registered. So how can we expect the international community to monitor child labour when the people in the mines do not know when they were born?
“The issue is very systematic, which is why we need to go back to the root causes.” Daniella then went on to express the same feelings as Mathy when she suggested, “Simply taking a child out of a mine won’t resolve the issue.”
But what will?
We can’t treat this problem as if it was happening on our doorstep, the factors at play are worlds apart compared to the issues of the West. The system is different, and the culture is different, and that is why the solutions have to be different.
Organisations such as the GBA and UNICEF are vitally important in bridging the gap between consumers and mining communities. Nobody wants to see children working, and dying, for our comfort. But an answer needs time.
And time heals.
As our video conversation was approaching its end, a small child wandered into the background of Yannick’s camera. He looked up and saw me and enthusiastically waved his hand from side to side. I laughed and gave my new friend a wave in return.
To the left of Yannick, I noticed a photograph. A man dressed smartly in black, and a woman dressed in white stood side by side. It was Yannick on his wedding day – serving as a visual representation of how far he’s come since his last, long, exhausting day in the mines.