| Wednesday, September 27, 2006 |
| Too good to be lasting? |
A Belgian Organization, Group One, has been assisting former child miners in continuing their education in DR Congo. It sent 250 former child-miners to school with funds from the UNICEF and the Belgium government. According to BBC online , "Funding is secure until next year, but the Belgian scheme is due to wind up during 2007." Who is going to ensure continuity of this program? I really don’t understand how organizations design such an important project and "wind up" after assisting just 250 kids.
Children are forced into mining because they cannot afford a $75-$90 annual school fee. The lucrative business of mining is keeping the poor poorer.
MIGA, the political risk insurance arm of the World Bank, expects the face amount of loans guaranteed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) mining sector to increase from $20.8 million today to over $500 million in three years. However, underneath the immense economic opportunities lie significant social and human rights concerns.
Still, a project geared towards educating ex-child miners winds up after helping 250 kids out of the possible 60,000?
Related links
Mining in DR Congo
Alfred Buju: from child miner to head of justice & peace commission
Dimond and its effects on the poor in DRC
US influence on the background to the current situation in DRC |
posted by Fikirte @ 3:28 PM
 
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