Child Labour
Childhood should be a time when dreams flourish in imaginative minds. But for some, they are living a nightmare. The grim reality is that more than 160 million children are entangled in the web of child labour – or about 10 percent of the entire child population. Most work in the agricultural industry, with little to no chance of ever receiving an education. This perpetuates the repetitious pattern of poverty, as they will not have the skills nor be equipped to find meaningful employment.
On July 17, 2017 two congressional bills were reintroduced to the U.S. House Representatives to reduce dangerous child labor in U.S. Agriculture. These types of legal steps will raise awareness in America, but more action must be taken across the world stage to protect our children.
Child Mining Cobalt in the Congo
According to UNICEF estimates, nearly 40,000 youngsters - boys and girls – many as young as seven, are actively working as artisanal miners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Cobalt is an essential mineral used to make lithium-ion batters for mobile devices, and batteries for electric/hybrid vehicles. Nearly 60 percent of the world’s cobalt is in this region, and countries and companies are in a mad dash to stockpile this natural resource. Global demand is accelerating at record speed, which means more mining will be necessary to fuel this growth.
Amnesty International reports that many of these children work 12 hours a day under hazardous conditions without protective masks or gloves. They receive approximately $1 or $2 USD daily.
Our goal is to work with Human Rights advocacy groups tracking the cobalt supply chain from the sites to the mining companies. Once they are identified as exploiting these children, steps will be taken to hold them accountable and demand transparency.