Every morning in the diamond fields of Marange in Zimbabwe, hundreds of children labor away through their sweat, blood, and tears. Their grueling and high-risk work requires them to move heavy objects while cruel overseers “keep them in check.” However, these children do not choose this laborious work. Most of them are forced into this cruel child labour by their circumstances in order to stay alive. This isn’t just happening in Zimbabwe, however, as more than 25 percent of children in Africa are at work, giving Sub-Saharan Africa the largest number of child laborers worldwide (Xinhua News Agency).
One-fourth of Africa’s future generation is unable to receive an education, and instead, a large percentage of them are pressured into toiling in the diamond mines by Africa’s military. They are beaten, raped, and generally abused in these mines, working for long hours in exchange for extremely low wages. These children labor away to provide for themselves or their families, but are exploited by their government leaders who pocket the money these children work so hard to make.
An entire generation of Africa’s future scholars, lawyers, political leaders, and teachers are not given the opportunity to achieve their dreams. These children are kept from their education in favor of menial labor, which is necessary for them to support themselves or their families. Most of the children working in the mines are either orphans as a result of the civil war or the “breadwinners” of their family (Cahill). Others have no choice on the matter, as they forced into this occupation by the military with the threat of violence. These children yearn for proper instruction and education, but are held back from this opportunity by the diamond mining. A young girl of thirteen has expressed her desire for an education, “All I want now is to go back to school" (Smith). These children should be in school, learning how to become successful instead of mining away their lives for mere scraps.
Diamond mines have historically been used to fund the rebels in African civil wars, where children have been used as combatants and laborers. The awful working conditions that these children experienced under the brutal revolutionaries has set the expectation for most mines in Africa. The military that oversees diamond production in most countries has been responsible for countless murders; there have been occurrences where they “shot on sight” miners found in the fields (Smith). Diamond mining is already a very risky profession as it can cause a multitude of injuries, but this added violence just adds to the high risks of this job. In the midst of all these dangers, the children are not rightfully compensated for their grueling work and the high risks of the mining. According to a study by Harvard’s human rights program, children are only paid one or two dollars a day for their ten hour shifts. Not only are the children subjected to horrible working conditions, but they are also severely underpaid for their back-breaking work.
Children in Africa are pressured into participating in diamond mining industry, an industry that subjugates them, abuses them, and robs them of their futures. These children are are in need of an organization that will free them of these chains.
Works Cited
Cahill, Petra. "A Diamond's Journey: Grim Reality Tarnishes Glitter." Msnbc.com. NBC News, 26 June 2009. Web. 9 Mar. 2015.
Fofana, Lansana. "Children Working in Sierra Leone Mines." BBC News. BBC, 28 Aug. 2003. Web. 9 Mar. 2015.
"Harvard Study Criticizes Child Labor in Diamond Mines." VOA. Voice of America, 2 Nov. 2009. Web. 9 Mar. 2015.
Smith, David. "Children Forced to Mine Zimbabwe Diamonds." Www.theguardian.com. The Guardian, 26 June 2009. Web. 9 Mar. 2015.
"Sub-Saharan Africa Fails to Reduce Child Labor." Xinhua News Agency 13 June 2006: n. pag. Global Issues In Context. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.
"Zimbabwe: End Repression in Marange Diamond Fields." Www.hrw.org. Human Rights Watch, 26 June 2009. Web. 9 Mar. 2015.
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