How gold miners are using children as sacrificial lambs

Children in Kenya are trafficked for ritual sacrifices in mines locally and across the border in Tanzania.[Courtesy]

Children in Kenya are trafficked for ritual sacrifices in mines locally and across the border in Tanzania where miners believe the practice enhances the luck of finding gold, a study by a State-funded agency shows while highlighting the scale of the problem despite efforts to address the menace.

The findings by National Crime Research Centre (NCRC) show that some 2,322 children where trafficked last year, out which 1,185 were boys while 1,137 being girls who either were either exploited for ritualistic, commercial, criminal, sexual, labour-related and illegal adoption purposes.