Child Labour Remediation in DRC Cobalt Mines: MMJ’s Story

MMJ dropped out of school in Grade 4 at the age of 11 and began working on the Kapata mining site – an artisanal cobalt mine in Kolwezi, DRC. When The Hub for Child Labour Prevention and Remediation’s team met MMJ, he had been collecting used bags and selling them to artisanal miners at low prices, earning an estimated $60 a month, and working 50 hours a week. 

The boy was the youngest of seven siblings. His father had died, so he lived with his mother and his 14-year-old brother. Both brothers had stopped going to school.

MMJ’s mother works as a saleswoman selling water and juice at a mining site, and her income has been insufficient to cover basic needs and the children's education. 

The Child Labour Remediation Programme

The agreed-upon goal of the remediation plan is to support MMJ in continuing his education from Grade 5 to Grade 8EB and then attending half a year of vocational training in the last year of the remediation programme. This will help him attain some practical skills for more job opportunities when the programme ends.   

MMJ’s programme includes:

• A health check

• School support (for four years)

• A monthly living stipend

• Vocational training and course kit, with all fees paid for

• Regular visits by the case manager 

Outcomes

• MMJ is doing well in school and scored 54% in the first period. MMJ's mother encourages him to study and apply himself to the lessons so that he can grow up like a “normal” child.

• MMJ no longer works in the mine and is in good health.

• Being a soccer fan, MMJ spends his spare time playing soccer with his friends.

• The mother has been able to improve her business thanks to the living stipend.

I like being back in school, and I am thinking of becoming a mechanical engineer someday,”                                                                                             MMJ said.

About The Hub for Child Labour Prevention and Remediation

The Hub’s child labour remediation programme is supported by funding from the private sector and the Fair Cobalt Alliance. Launched in 2022 and managed by The Centre for Child Rights and Business, The Hub unites six local CSOs to provide targeted, long-term support for children engaged in the worst forms of child labour in artisanal copper and cobalt mining communities in the DRC. It collaborates with schools and the government to ensure alignment and sustainability. Its case manager training programme has established a robust local network of child rights practitioners, consisting of 29 accredited child labour remediation case managers. Furthermore, The Hub conducts regular training for local government departments, CSOs, and mining cooperatives on child labour prevention and remediation. 

Learn more at www.clrhub.org.