By Egessa Hajusu
Parents in Tiira parish in Busitema sub-county, Busia district have withdrawn over 500 of their children from school to work in gold mines. Busitema sub-county LC3 chairperson Tom Etaru Ekisa told The New Vision in an interview recently that the children, both in primary and secondary school, were employed in the Tiira gold fields.

He said the miners employ school children with the consent of their parents, adding that this was the reason parents had not reported the cases to the authorities.

Ekisa explained that the food shortage, which hit the area since the beginning of this year, had prompted parents to allow their children to work to get money for food and other household items.

Etaru said one member of Tiira Primary School Parents-Teachers Association, who attempted to caution parents over the issue got strong protests. “The children are paid sh800 for each basin of gold stones pounded into powder,” Etaru said, adding that if the situation was allowed to continue, education in the sub-county would be affected.

Gold mining is popular in Tiira, Nakola, Angarama, Aboloyi and Akobwaiti villages in Tiira parish. As a measure against the practice, he said, the sub-county had passed a fine of sh50,000 for parents whose children will be found working in the mines.

According to the headteachers of the schools The New Vision visited, enrolment has gone down. Bushenyi, Kanungu, Kyenjojo and Kotido, are some of the other districts involved in gold mining.

The Government officially launched the gold mining industry in Uganda in November 2002, with pioneer projects in Bushenyi district.