Digging for a Dollar a Day
By Angelina Lue
What are you using to read this article? A computer? A smartphone, perhaps? More importantly, have you ever thought about how your device and every device on this planet has put thousands of children in danger of dying in mines? Millions of miners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo aging from 7 upwards are putting their lives at risk to obtain minerals such as cobalt for lithium-ion batteries, only for often less than a dollar a day (“THIS”).
Right now, approximately 35,000 children are working in hazardous, dangerous mines to earn money for their families (Kara). The extent of these unsustainable labor practices is so extreme that mining corporations have militia surrounding mines to deter reporters and human rights groups from reporting about the crisis (“THIS”).
Some brave reporters have been able to get access into the mines and found that many miners do not eat during their entire shift, as most can’t afford to and some shifts last 24 hours without breaks (Parry) (“THIS”). Furthermore, miners receive no protection when they work in the mines; based off of interviews led by Amnesty International of several miners, miners do not receive gloves or masks to protect themselves from toxic heavy metals (“THIS”). On a more rare, but far more severe occasion, mines collapse and hundreds of young men and women are killed and buried in the ground (Kara). So why have these dehumanizing labor practices continued to proliferate? The root cause of the mining crisis in the Congo stems from a lack of accountability in the tech industry and the extreme poverty that pushes children and adults to work in one of the most dangerous industries.
The leading proponent of Congo’s mining crisis is the technology industry (Kara). For every phone, computer, laptop, and even electric vehicle, cobalt is necessary for lithium-ion batteries. Specifically for electric vehicles, approximately 20 pounds of cobalt is needed in each car (Vella). Apple and Tesla are companies under fire regarding how they will regulate the supply chain; however, only promises of decreased reliance and promises of increased oversight have been announced (Vella). As tech corporations’ demand for cobalt and their desire to sustain high-profit margins maintain steady growth, miners are pushed further down to the very bottom of the supply chain.
The second major reason for the Congo’s horrific working conditions is that of extreme poverty. The Congo has a staggering poverty rate of 64%, and over 2 million people work in the artisanal -- freelance -- mining sector with another few hundred thousand working as officially employed cobalt miners (“World”) (Perks). Although miners work hours on end, wages are so low that most Congolese have a salary below the national poverty line. Many child miners were reported to have joined the mines because they needed to support their families and pay for uniforms and schooling (“THIS”). Even children who go to school work 10-12 hours a day on weekends or holidays. Some students have to skip school for months on end if they can’t afford it (“THIS”). This prevents children from getting an education and pursuing careers outside of mining leaving them in a cycle of poverty.
Fortunately, in the wake of public criticism, tech companies are starting to look towards alternatives to cobalt in lithium-ion batteries to end this crisis (Vella). However, this would not solve the Congo’s issues as the Congolese depend on the mining industry for their livelihoods (Perks). On the bright side, Apple has expressed interest in complete control over the supply chain without middlemen so that it can better monitor and regulate working conditions. Efforts like these bring hope to the dim, dark mines. Ultimately, if corporations don’t start cracking down on the Congo’s mining crisis, seven-year-olds will continue to dig for less than a dollar a day.
Works Cited:
Kara, Siddharth. “Is Your Phone Tainted by the Misery of 35,000 Children in Congo's Mines? | Siddharth Kara.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 12 Oct. 2018, www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/oct/12/phone-misery-children-congo-cobalt-mines-drc.
Parry, Tom. “Gorillas Massacred and Driven to Extinction - All for the Sake of Mobile Phones.” Mirror, MGN Limited, 3 Feb. 2017, www.mirror.co.uk/tech/gorillas-massacred-driven-extinction-sake-9747764.
Perks, Rachel. “'CAN I GO?'-EXITING THE ARTISANAL MINING SECTOR IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO.” EBSCO, 2011, web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=d98f6447-696e-41bf-ab8f-8840dda75ca3%40pdc-v-sessmgr05&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=66794184&db=bth.
“THIS IS WHAT WE DIE FOR” - HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO POWER THE GLOBAL TRADE IN COBALT. Amnesty International, 2016, pp. 14–71, “THIS IS WHAT WE DIE FOR” - HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO POWER THE GLOBAL TRADE IN COBALT.
Vella, Heidi. “Inside China's Move to Monopolise Cobalt.” Mining Technology | Mining News and Views Updated Daily, Verdict Media Limited, 31 May 2018, www.mining-technology.com/features/inside-chinas-move-monopolise-cobalt/.
“The World Bank in DRC.” World Bank, 2018, www.worldbank.org/en/country/drc/overview.
One of my favorite parts about this article is the hook! It immediately drew my attention. I now know that there is a mining crisis in the Congo where thousands of children are being treated very unfairly as workers. It was especially interesting when you mentioned Apple and Tesla because I already had background knowledge about these two companies, even though your article is focusing on Africa. I liked how I could draw on past knowledge but also learn new information.
ReplyDeleteI really liked that you were able to make this article more personal with the reader by talking about how the devices we use everyday have such a devastating impact on these workers. I also liked that you were able to organize your ideas effectively by having a thesis to list the root causes.
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