Gold miners in Busia embrace efforts to stop child labour
Some of the children who work in Tiira gold mines
Artisanal miners in Tiira gold mining area, in Busia District, have intensified efforts to eliminate children who abandon school to work in the mines
Mining in Tiira mining area is done through open cast mining methods
According to Mr Engiddoh Stephen Padde, the chairman of Tiira Miners Association, their efforts have seen the number of children who are commonly known as “gold scavengers”, in the area, drop from about 1,500 to less than 300.
“Most of these children are now back to school. The few who are still coming to the mines will eventually appreciate that their future does not lie in the mines because they are most of the time exploited and exposed to chemicals like mercury that are used in the gold mining process,” Mr Padde said.
Gold mining is popular in Tiira, Nakola, Angarama, Aboloyi and Akobwaiti villages in Tiira parish
He said they have been partnering with district officials and civil society organisation to spread the gospel of education.
He said apart from enrolling the children in primary and secondary schools, the area is in need of technical school that would absorb others who cannot proceed with formal academic programmes.
He was recently speaking on the side-lines of the Inter-schools debate on the benefits of gold mining in Busia District, at Buteba Sub-county.
The competition was organised by Action Aid Uganda, a civil society organisation which works to promote, social, economic and human rights of citizens.
The debates, according to organisers, are aimed at sensitising students to appreciate that much as they earn quick money in the mines, they can be more relevant to the development of gold mining in their area, once they have attained education.
The schools that participated in the debate were; St John SS, Kayoro SS, Brain Trust SS, Tiira SS, Dabani SS, Luma College, Buhobe SS and Busia Seed SS.
Luma College were the overall winners followed by St John. The winners and the runners up waked away with various prizes.
Luma College students celebrate after emerging as winners.
Excellent individual debaters and their tutors also received certificates among other prizes.
Similar debates have been organised in the Albertine Region where oil and gas were discovered, to ensure that young people are able to demand what belongs to them as well as accountability from their leaders regarding resource allocation and social economic empowerment.
