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Monday, November 5, 2012
A boy who appeared no older than 8 was found panning for gold in a mining camp in Guyana, a sign that greater efforts are needed to stop child labour in the South American country.
The child did not appear to be in bad health, but he was "semi-literate," and performing dangerous work that should only be done by adults, said Simona Broomes, president of the Women Miners Association.
He was found in the remote Puruni region, near the Venezuela border as Broome and members of her group performed a tour of work camps to check on working conditions.
The boy was placed in protective custody while she works with local authorities to locate his mother, who is believed to be working in another gold mining camp, she said
It is illegal for anyone under 15 to work full-time in Guyana except under certain circumstances, but the law is widely flaunted.
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