The gold rush never cooled down
(Baonghean.vn) - Gold rush is a phrase used to describe the situation of a massive migration of workers to an area where large gold reserves are discovered.
Currently, there are 10-30 million small gold miners in the world, about 100 million people directly or indirectly dependent on this industry. Hot spots of gold rush include: Australia, New Zealand, North America, South Africa, South America, ...
In addition, Kenya has also been a prominent name in the “gold mining” village in the past few years. Currently, although many local and international mining companies operating in the West of the country have been licensed to “hunt for gold”, after all, the gold mining industry here is still young and the areas with large reserves in Western Kenya are still largely unexploited.
The huge profits are what motivates thousands of small and artisanal miners in this country to embark on dangerous gold-hunting journeys in what has the potential to become Africa's largest gold producer.
At the mines, it is not difficult to see men, women, and even children working hard under harsh conditions, without any safety measures, facing all kinds of risks from mercury exposure to death in mine collapses, just to earn an extra $5/day.
Some pictures from the gold mines in Western Kenya:
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| Gold miners prepare to go underground in Osiri, Migori County, Western Kenya. High unemployment has forced thousands of Kenyans to embark on dangerous journeys to hunt for gold. |
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| The entrance to the gold miners' "workplace" was just a small, narrow opening, accessed by a rudimentary pulley system. |
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| Wedges and steel bars are tools used to mine gold-bearing minerals. Pictured: A miner works 30 meters below ground level at one of the mining sites in Macalder, Migori County, Western Kenya on February 29. |
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| A break taken underground at a depth of 50 m. Workers have no protective measures, working conditions are harsh and dangerous. |
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| Women also had to do hard labor in the mine. Pictured: A woman carries a basin filled with ore to the washing area. |
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| Another woman shovels ore into homemade washing tanks to separate precious metals at the Macalder mine in Western Kenya. |
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| After settling, mercury is used to condense the tiny gold pieces in the basin. |
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| The final result - A gold trader shows off a 1 gram piece of raw gold that was sold for $31 in his shop in Migori, Western Kenya. |
Phu Binh
(According to ENCA)
