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Balla's Story
Balla's Story
A classroom in Mali falls silent as a young female student comes forward to make a presentation. Balla, 12, worked in the nearby gold mines until a teacher helped her leave them. Standing at the front of the class, she explains the dangers of mining, especially for children, and encourages her peers to stand up for their rights and resist being forced to work in them.
https://www.righttoplay.com/fr/stories/brighter-than-gold-ballas-story/Balla was one of between 20,000 and 40,000 children in Mali who currently work in “wildcat” gold mines across the country. Wildcat mines, sometimes called “artisanal” mines, are hand-dug by community members and are one of the deadliest and most dangerous kinds of mines. Girls like Balla are stationed near the tops of the narrow shafts, where they help haul up and wash the ores. In the process, they are exposed to mercury and other dangerous chemicals that are used to separate the small amounts of gold from the surrounding rock. Falling, poisoning, and injuries from back-breaking work schedules are some of the other risks that girls like Balla face every day.
https://www.righttoplay.com/fr/stories/brighter-than-gold-ballas-story/What are the dangers of working in these conditions?
Why do you think a parent would let their child do this?
Why is getting an education for these children such an important thing?
What is the perspective of this story?
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