Ethno-education in Colombia’s Chocó province: How CCC is combating child labour in illegal gold mines and drug plantations.

As one of the most biodiverse areas on the planet, Chocó, Colombia’s westernmost department, is widely regarded as a luscious tropical rainforest full of life. However, behind this paradisical façade lies the clandestine domination of armed groups, who incite terror on local indigenous communities and exploit the land for its resources. The main attraction for armed groups operating in the area is the widespread presence of one key mineral – gold. Despite 90% of these mines being illegal, these gangs run well established operations extracting this resource, using child labour as the predominant work force. Not only this, but armed groups carry huge influence and control in the narcotics industry, where they recruit children to farm large cultivations of coca plants.