The area is plagued by insecurity. Its lone school was ransacked by the “malaso,” bands of well-armed cattle thieves whose presence deters local travelers and most aid groups from passing through the region.
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Solange said she typically enters the mica pits at about 7 a.m. and works until at least 7 p.m. The environment down below is stifling: temperatures that can exceed 95 degrees, low oxygen levels that can hinder breathing.
She often descends into the pit with her 4-year-old daughter Mirela strapped to her back but wearing no goggles or safety equipment.
“We don’t have any money,” Solange said. “We don’t have any choice.”
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