In the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a miner digs for his dreams hoping the “grey gold” of coltan, used in much of today’s electronics, can bring his family back together.
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In a village nestled in the mountains of the Democratic Republic of Congo, everyone is looking for an answer to their problems. A teacher hopes to find it in educating his pupils for a better life, a policeman hopes to find it in establishing order, and a miner hopes to find it in coltan, an essential element used in manufacturing electronics.
The mineral is both a blessing and a curse to the locals. It may have brought wealth to some, but it has also brought a decades long war between numerous local groups backed by international players.
For many miners their dreams remain frustratingly underground, seemingly just out of reach.
But for one miner can this “grey gold” now bring his family back together?
00:00 Introduction: Congo’s Coltan Mines
01:25 The Miner’s Story
06:45 The Arrest
12:00 A Child Miner
15:45 Money Struggles
24:14 Tension in the village
27:06 New Arrivals
29:40 Getting the Best Price
30:59 A Family Apart
42:16 The Discovery
46:20 The Mine Collapses
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🎥 Watch this film in SWAHILI here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ckCFYlFDBQ
and in FRENCH here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TPgYfm7bss
Dowery is like paying bride price here in Papua New Guinea. In our culture, bride price is paid by the extended family or even the whole clan. If my cousin gets married, my family and all the other extended families will chip in; if I get married, it's likewise. It seems the Congolese way is much more of an every man for himself. It's so sad how a rich and blessed nation has people suffering so much. So when you buy an expensive phone, remember, the digger his digging his death for a lousy fraction of a peanut. May Congo find Peace and Prosperity.
This so sad from the west people you still want Africa to be poorer why….????😢😢 😢😢😢😢
Crazy how I think South Africans are suffering 😢
God, please feed the children and mothers and fathers of Africa, please break the hunger pattern once and forever, thank you almighty God.
I’ve seen sth that tribalism, corruption has a big hand in these kinds of bad living. Besides drc, china has also the biggest or 2nd biggest coltan mines, but is there war or living like that? people exploit the country in Drc because the leaders don’t care about the people (examples of countries with large mines but peaceful: Botswana (diamond), china, Russia oil, Saudi oil, among others. these leaders gotta be held accountable
Congo is very beautiful
All this man made wars…
A Congo coltan mine just collapsed on Wednesday killing 200 miners.
I heard over 200 people died just the other day in these mines….Can someone tell me Ujumbe is okay
This is just heartbreaking to think some of the children in this video, like the boy who dreams of being an airframe mechanic, might not have survived the recent collapse. Rest in Peace to all who died in this tragedy.
This is Africa
We need a part 2 that shows what happens to the ore beyond our borders
Biggest mistake of black people to say ignore your ethnicity. If a man can not agree on religion and politics you should not force their children together.
This fake coombaya crap . You cannot build with people who you do not agree with
These Congo people enjoy western clothes and way of politics
What a documentary; deserves some kind of award!
oh lord this country is beautiful. I hope these people have a better life one day
The only wise person is the teacher …
This seems like n episode of "Cops" 😂❤
Instead of sailing with a boat to Gaza, that dumbass Thunberg should have spent the money that got wasted for that nonsense on some children, so they can go to school, instead of digging in the mines. Or even better, she should go to Congo and dig for Coltan herself, so she will see how the material in her mobile is harvested.
Slavery is abolished? I think not!
And I am fully aware of the the fact, that I am writing this on my Laptop and being part of the system, that keeps modern slavery alive. It's sickening!
They catching thug who stole $10 but they are not catching who stealing billions of dollars worth of minerals
How this world is shameless
It’s proved wrong that hard work makes you millionaires if it true whole African could be millionaires
realising the script is the same acrioss southern africa makes you appreciate developed states like zimbabwe,south africa and zambia this is so painful
Reparations
by Clinton R Plaatjies
Hidden deep under European soil,
Lies the crowns of African kings.
Remaining openly above European soil, Lies the bloody remnants of African toil.
Hidden deep behind the European smile,
Lies empires that left Africa defiled.
Who and how will we reveal,
The mouths that Africa still feeds?
Author: Clinton R Plaatjies
Copyright © 2026 Clinton Plaatjies.
All rights reserved.
Stop Jenoside Against Tutsi because . survive not andastand wy just now
Ubaguzi ni virus yamawuwaji , kwanini mutu awuwa mwenzako , together is 1.
Separation people very danger, President Kisekedi separate de people not security of course because not Love