15 and Broke in a Cut-Throat Congo Mining Town

“15 and Broke in a Cut-Throat Congo Mining Town” shares the true story of a boy named Imani Mulumeo Derwa, a 15-year old boy who left his life in Walungu, Congo and headed for Bisie to help support his family financially. Imani’s dream was to finish high school and go on to college; however his dream was far off considering he had only finished fourth-grade before he needed to drop-out and leave town to make money. Unfortunately, what he thought the town of Bisie could provide for him was not reality. After a long journey, Imani arrived in Bisie only to find himself, “trapped in a web of debt and despair”. In Bisie, on his first day of work he recorded in his journal that he had earned less than 50 cents after working 2.1 hours; later he said “I wanted to keep track of what I earn, but so far I really haven’t earned anything”. This meant that Imani had no place to sleep, no food to eat, no clothes to wear, no shoes on his feet, no place to play, and no family for love. So, Imani looked to other people to temporarily help support him with things such as a home and food. However, this backfired on Imani because he could not come up with the money he owed the people who temporarily supported him- he was taunted and stuck in a place he no longer wanted to be. Out of all the days of the week Thursdays were the worst because that was when the soldiers came and collected taxes, about a dollar from each person, but that was a whole day’s wages; so, when he did not have the money he would hide out in the forest. Hiding out in the forest was dangerous and risky because it was known, “if you don’t pay they will kill you”, but it was his only choice because he had no money. Unfortunately, because Congo has a poor government it is easy for something, such as what is happening in Bisie, to occur. It was said, “Every Thursday, he must hand over a day’s wages to Col. Samy Matumo’s men, who control the mountain and illegally extract taxes from every enterprise here”. This is an example of what is happening in our world today. Everyday children are trapped within a system and have no way to get out, “Although Imani wants to leave, he has no money t to pay the taxes along the road. And his creditors would send soldiers to arrest him if he tried to escape”. Imani, as we as many other children, are working, “48- hour shifts in narrow, airless tunnels, with no safety gear beyong their dim healamps”. Many of these place where the children work have horrible condition and often the dangerous work leads to death, “cae-ins are common, and toxis gasses fill the tunnels at times, sickening workers. It is impossible to say how many workers have been injured or killed because there are no authorities here the keep track”. Living in America and hearing IMani’s story and his situation makes me feel so fortunate to be able to live the way I do. No child, or adult, should have to live “15 and Broke in a Cut-Throat Congo Mining Town”. Although it is not America’s problem, it is a responsibility of the whole world to help out each other. If this is going on behind closed doors and America has the capability to help, even if it is in some small way, we should do so, for the sake of the poor young children suffering.

Polgreen, Lydia. "15 and Broke in a Cut-Throat Congo Mining Town.(National Desk)(Imani Mulumeo Derwa)." The New York Times. 158. 54496 (Nov 16, 2008): NA(L). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 21 Feb. 2010 .