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Story Publication logo August 27, 2018

How Children in Mines Fuel the Digital Revolution

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Inside the Kasulo mine, which is owned by the DRC government and run by China’s Congo Dongfang International Mining, or CDM. Image by Sebastian Meyer. Democratic Republic of Congo, 2018.
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Vivienne Walt and Sebastian Meyer traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo, home to most of the...

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A miner crushes cobalt that will be tested for purity at the Kasulo mine depot. Image by Sebastian Meyer. Democratic Republic of Congo, 2018.
A miner crushes cobalt that will be tested for purity at the Kasulo mine depot. Image by Sebastian Meyer. Democratic Republic of Congo, 2018.

Cobalt is king in the digital world. It helps power the phone in your hand. Cobalt is also essential for electric cars. That increased demand is causing a "cobalt" rush in Africa. Tech companies are trying to avoid abuses, but it isn't easy. Marco Werman, host of PRI's The World, speaks with Vivienne Walt who just came back from the Democratic Republic of Congo to check out the cobalt craze. Click here to listen to the full episode.

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