Driven by poverty, children all over the world have to undertake dangerous work to support their families.

GOLD MINING IN GHANA

Daniel is just one of over 10,000 children in Ghana who have to work in informal gold mines in order to survive. Daniel digs, by hand, pits and tunnels that can be about 3m deep and 1m wide. “When I get to the mine, I go inside the pit, dig out the earth with a friend and carry it to the water to sieve it and wash it.”

GOLD MINING IN GHANA

Tools such as pick axes and shovels are used to dislodge soil which is collected in tin bowls.“The most dangerous tool is the pick axe and I have cut my leg with it. The heaviest is the shovel, and the pan hurts your head.”

GOLD MINING IN GHANA

The heavy bowls weighing up to 10kg are carried to the water to be panned. Children carry these bowls to the water up to 20 times a day.“Sometimes the stones cut your feet and you get rashes from the water.”

GOLD MINING IN GHANA

Daniel pans for gold at the water’s edge. He lowers the bowls into the water and shakes them from left to right. This causes the gold, which is heavy, to sink to the bottom of the pan. The soil at the top, which is lighter, is swept away.

GOLD MINING IN GHANA

The gold at the bottom of the bowl is transferred into a smaller pan and taken to be sold.

GOLD MINING IN GHANA

Children working in the gold mines earn an average of 5 Ghanaian Cedis a day, which is the equivalent of £1.50. But if they don’t find gold, they work the entire day for nothing.

GOLD MINING IN GHANA

Sport Relief is an initiative of Comic Relief, registered charity 326568 (England and Wales); SC039730 (Scotland).  Photo credits: Christian Thompson and Tara Carey.  SR14_296