Gold’s Hidden Cost: Illegal Dredge Mining in Yele & Rokel | Sierra Leone

Illegal dredge gold mining is tearing apart communities in Yele and Rokel, Tonkolili District, Sierra Leone. Our investigation reveals how foreign and local miners are poisoning rivers with mercury, destroying livelihoods, and forcing even children into dangerous labour. Once a source of life, the Teya River now symbolizes devastation—contaminated waters, collapsed farming, and families pushed deeper into poverty. Farmers can no longer cultivate their land. Fishermen return with empty nets. Children trade classrooms for hazardous mining pits. We spoke with residents, miners, chiefs, and authorities to uncover the human, environmental, and governance challenges fueling this crisis. Key Questions Raised: Who profits from this illegal gold? Why do crackdowns fail? What future awaits Sierra Leone’s rivers and children? Watch this full documentary to understand the hidden cost of gold in Sierra Leone. Read the full investigation here: https://www.belinemediaempire.org/202... #IllegalMining #SierraLeone #Environment #ChildLabour #BelineMediaEmpire