The dramatic rescue of the trapped miners in Chile brought to mind a movie I watched earlier in the year, The Devil’s Miner. Available on amazon.com and netflix (also available on instant play), it’s a great movie to share with your (older) children, as it will give them perspective on the injust, every day reality of so many children around the world.
Filmmakers Kief Davidson and Richard Ladkani followed around a 14-year-old Bolivian miner, Basilio Vargas,as he deals with fear, hardwork and struggle in the silver mines of Cerro Rico. As he works under harsh mine conditions, including darkess, dust, 100+ degree heat and the unavoidable threatfuture lung disease, he shares his hopes and dreams, one of which is to receive an education.
Sadly, Basilio’s story isn’t unique, as many children around the world work in the back and soul-breaking mining industry. To learn more about children in the mining industry, including information on charities that aim to help improve their lives, visit: http://www.thedevilsminer.com/popup/help.htm
