Godwin AsedibaBBC News Komla Dumor Award winner, Eastern Province, Sierra Leone
Andre Lombard / BBC
Namina Jenneh is mourning her 17-year-old son who died while mining for gold
There is a sense of disbelief in this Sierra Leonean village as people weep in front of the bodies of two teenage boys wrapped in white cloth.
The day before, 16-year-old Mohamed Bangura and 17-year-old Yayah Jenneh left their homes in Nyimbadu, in the country’s Eastern Province, hoping to earn a little extra money for their families.
They had gone in search of gold but never returned. The makeshift pit they were digging in collapsed on them.
This was the third fatal mine accident, leaving a total of at least five children dead, in the last four years in this region.
Mohamed and Yayah were part of a phenomenon that has seen a growing number of children missing school in parts of Sierra Leone to mine the precious metal in potentially lethal pits, according to headteachers and community activists.
The Eastern Province has historically been known for diamond mining. But in recent years informal – or artisanal – gold mining has expanded as the diamond reserves have been depleted.
David Wilkins / BBC
People dig up the rich earther wherever they think they might be able to find gold
Mining sites pop up wherever local people find deposits in this land laden with riches – on farmland, in former graveyards and along riverbeds.
There are few formal mining companies operating here, but in the areas which are not considered profitable, the landscape is dotted with these unregulated pits that can be as deep as 4m (13 feet).
Similar – and equally dangerous – mines can be found in many African countries and there are often reports of deadly collapses.
Most families in Nyimbadu rely on small-scale farming and petty trading for a living. Alternative employment is scarce so the opportunity to earn some extra cash is very attractive.
But the community in the village gathered at the local funeral home know the work also comes at a price, with the loss of two young lives ful
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