Illegal Gold Workers of Ghana // 14 of 29

Illegal gold workers labor through the night at a remote site in the bush of Kenyasi, Ghana, West Africa, Feb. 2008. Ghana has one of the world's largest illegal gold mining industry. Estimated one million Ghanaians known locallly as "galamsey" ("gather and sell") work illegally throughout the country: some dig out gold-rich rocks from underground mines, some grind the stones to extract the gold minerals with mercury, others purify the mercury-gold compounds. They commute...
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Illegal gold workers labor through the night at a remote site in the bush of Kenyasi, Ghana, West Africa, Feb. 2008. Ghana has one of the world's largest illegal gold mining industry. Estimated one million Ghanaians known locallly as "galamsey" ("gather and sell") work illegally throughout the country: some dig out gold-rich rocks from underground mines, some grind the stones to extract the gold minerals with mercury, others purify the mercury-gold compounds. They commute from nearby villages to illegal sites deep in the bush - which may employ up to 10,000 people - working from dusk till dawn in dangerous, primitive conditions. They face government's prosecution, mercury poisoning, and being buried alive, yet thousands continue to flock to the galamsey trade that is more lucrative than the legitimate gold labor. They operate as teams and pride themselves on their bond, calling each other "brother" - gold brothers.
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