By Nneka Nwogwugwu
Some miners in Indonesia have blamed birth defects on gold mining.
At Sekotong, a mine regarded by government as illegal on the island of Lombok, many miners go there in search for gold.
However, they complain in an interview with Aljazeera, that the work is affecting their health.
The gold processing machines are the unrelenting soundtrack to life in Sekotong.
They are often right next to people’s homes. But there is a cost associated with this convenience.
Related Posts
In a small village in Sekotong, five-year-old Zaim lives with his parents.
He cannot walk or talk. He likes to drink chocolate milk, but his mother, Suparni, has to hold the small carton for him.
“In the provincial hospital, they told me his condition is related to his nerves and development. I want to know what caused him to be like this,” Suparni, Zaim father said.
Zaim was recently diagnosed with microcephaly – a medical condition where a child’s head is smaller than average, often impacting brain function.
Researchers from a local non-governmental organisation, the Nexus3 Foundation, are looking into his case and other children they believe are victims of mercury exposure.
Yune Eribowo leads the organisation’s research into mercury and other hazardous chemicals.
“In this area, there are children born with less fingers or cleft lip … some are born without an anus,” Yune says.
