Panellists warn of repercussions concerning children in mining
Child-friendly organisations and advocates have warned that the widespread involvement of children in illegal mining, particularly in galamsey-prone communities, poses a serious threat to their health, education and future prospects.
Similarly, it said many of the children were being exposed to toxic substances, life-threatening working conditions and social neglect.
Members of a panel discussing the ‘Impact of Illegal Mining on Children and Youth Development in the country’ gave the warning in Accra.
The discussions were part of a ‘Thriving Child Seminar Series’, organised by the Compassion International Ghana (CIGH), an NGO.
The event formed part of activities to mark the 20th anniversary of the NGO, which has been working to advocate for the rights of children and youth.
The discussants included an environmental journalist, Erastus Asare Donkor, the Deputy Director of A Rocha Ghana, Daryl Bosu, the Head of Programmes and Project at the Department of Children, Abena Apraku Badu-Aboagye, a priest of the Methodist Church Ghana, Very Rev. Emmanuel Forkuo and a Senior Gender and Legal Officer of the Minerals Commission of Ghana, Fafanyo Kukubor.
They expressed worry over children, as young as 12 years old, abandoning school to crush rocks for gold extraction, often without protective gear, leaving them to inhale harmful dust.
Intergenerational impact
Mr Erastus Asare Donkor reiterated the intergenerational impact of galamsey on children, where nursing mothers took their babies to galamsey sites till they grew up, hence the child develops the mindset that galamsey is right.
He further indicated that babies born to mothers exposed to heavy metals in galamsey communities were at risk of birth deformities.
The journalist also pointed out the broader environmental and health implications of galamsey, which poses a significant risk to communities near galamsey sites, particularly women and children and called for urgent need for action to protect the future of Ghana's children. “It's an emergency and we need to do something”, he said.
The Senior Gender and Legal Officer of the Minerals Commission of Ghana also reiterated that the dominance of galamsey in communities made it difficult for children to see other options and that poverty and economic dependence drove the involvement of children in these activities.
Solutions
She emphasised the need for awareness creation, highlighting the confusion around child labour and the risks associated with mercury exposure.
She mentioned that women and children often handled mercury without knowing its dangers.
To address these challenges, she suggested strengthening laws related to the supply chain, particularly due diligence measures to track and isolate metals and minerals obtained through child labour or illegal means.
She also called for enhanced enforcement, including equipping migrant inspectors, child protection committees and district courts with the necessary resources to conduct unannounced inspections.
Formalising the sector and training those engaged in small-scale mining to operate sustainably and responsibly were also crucial steps, she said, citing initiatives such as the Ghana Landscape Small-Scale Restoration Project.
The National Director of CIGH, Kobina Yeboah Okyere, emphasised the organisation's 20-year journey in advocating children's rights and development.
He said the impact of galamsey on children extended beyond education but affected health and future, and the country as a whole.
Mr Okyere called for the need for collective action to address the issue.
