MARIUSZ SMIEJEK
STORYTELLING & PORTRAITS
GOLDEN CHILDHOOD
Ghanaian children at the bottom of the global gold chain industry. 2019 - 2021
Ghana’s total value of gold export in 2019 was around $27 million every day, while the majority of children working in artisanal small-scale gold mining live on just $1 per day, child labour here is mostly free. Small-scale and illegal gold mining plays a significant role in Ghana, contributing around two-thirds of the country’s output with about 3 million people forced to live off mining due to poverty and lack of work.
Ghana is the number one gold producer on the African continent. Foreign multinational companies own the vast majority of Ghana’s gold wealth amounting to a disturbing ecological imperialism. According to The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources in Ghana only in 2019 around $9 billion worth of gold exports remained unaccounted, being smuggled to the major importer countries like India, United Arab Emirates and Switzerland. The foreign monopoly of natural resources and its collateral consequences of land appropriation, livelihood deprivation and environmental degradation, marginalizes ASGM who are desperate to share in the earth’s profits.
Children on their way to the bush to work in the illegal gold mine.
Women with her two children going to work in gold mine.
Young girls picking up the peace of gold from the road in centre of their village, just after heavy rain.
Young galamsey worker at the mine site. She is working here digging, carries and washing load.
Boy grinding rocks full of gold dust.
Young boy at the rock grinders station.
Young girl at the illegal gold mine.
The rocks with gold after grinded to the powder need to be wash to seperate the gold dust.
Teenage boy cleaning his hand after he fixed the rock grinder.
Illegal gold mine in the middle of bush in Amansie West Region.
5 years old boy at the gold mine, he work here with his mum and 3 other siblings.
Young galamsey worker at the small scale gold mining site.
Young gold mine workers on their way home after work.
Mum and her daughter working at the dusty grinder station.
Woman washing load with two young boys to find the gold dust at the galamsey site.
Young boy washing waste mud at the end of the a few washing stations line based on a muddy hillside.
Street shop with second hand children clothing in front of the gold buying agent in the village in Brong Ahafo Region. Child labour and child work mostly is free in Ghana.