The gold rush in the area of Traditional (T/A) Mโbiza in Zomba district has been exposing children from the area to both sexual and economic exploitation by the miners.
YONECO Radio Station (YFM) contributes to combating child sexual exploitation by bringing to light critical challenges and seeking necessary interventions from stakeholders through โLekelereni Mwanayoโ Radio Programme.
Thus, YFMโs engagement with community members and young people disclosed that the miners who are locally called โAmagwejaโ have been using young boys in excavating gold while young girls are being paid for sex.
YFMโs investigation reveals that 25 primary school learners have left school to work over 10 hours a day in the mines for MK 3,000 daily. Heartrendingly, all the children who dropped out of school are determined to stay in mining, saying that they do not earn any income from school.
The gold miners and buyers are said to be from various places and a majority of them are from some neighbouring countries.
Parents from the surrounding areas expressed their concerns about how the mining activities have fueled child abuse cases in the areas.
The team concluded the journey with a visit to the mining sites where a 15-year-old girl was found working in the pits.
โIt’s a heartbreaking image that will remain imprinted in my mind for a lifetime,โ said Lauryn M’banga, YFM Reporter after the tour.
Currently, YONECO is engaging various stakeholders to address the issues and ensure that children are being protected from exploitation in all mining activities in the area and other parts Malawi.
