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Sekotong, Indonesia – Sukma sees his friends descending 30 meters (98 feet) to the ground, along with many of Sekotong’s illegal mines on the island of Lombok.
Unauthorized mining is an open secret here; the mines have dotted the hills west of Lombok for decades.
“My six friends went into the hole and my job is to take care of it. If they need a drink or a sack of stones, I’m here to give it to them, ”says Sukma.
The work is dangerous. But for these men, the shine among the stones is worth the chance to find just a piece of gold.
“If we make a mistake the earth can fall,” Sukma says. “That’s the risk we have to take to make a living.”
Miners said the Al Jazeera Sekotong gold rift had disappeared in recent years. But since the pandemic began, many have returned to the mines due to financial difficulties.
Sukma decided to become a miner more than a year ago.
“I have nothing else to do. I usually work abroad, but I can’t travel because of coronavirus. So now I’m looking for gold, ”he says.
Most villages in Sekotong are equipped with a temporary machine used to extract gold from the sediment. They rotate constantly, breaking rocks and making it easier to see the golden tips of the sediment. People put mercury inside the machines to help extract gold. It’s cheap and easy.
Muhammad Yusuf, 24, has been involved in the process for more than eight years.
“We get home from the mines, we break the stones into smaller pieces, and then we put them in the barrel. It turns the material into mud and then we add mercury, ”he says.
Muhammad is also a teacher. He was able to pay for his university studies with income from gold mining and processing.
“I understand the dangers of mercury. I saw a video that said it was very dangerous. But gold mining is a way to make money, ”he says.
‘I want to know what caused him to be like that’
Gold processing machines are a constant soundtrack to Sekotong’s life.
They are often located next to people’s homes. But there is a cost associated with this convenience.
In a small town in Sekotong, five-year-old Zaim lives with his parents.
He can’t walk or talk. He likes to drink chocolate milk, but his mother, Suparnik, has to hold the little cardboard.
Her brown eyes have unusual long eyelashes. When he looks at his mother, he smiles warmly.
Zaim’s father was a gold miner and he processed gold in his home [Fakhrur Rozi/ Al Jazeera]“I was told at the provincial hospital that his condition is related to his nerves and development. I want to know what caused that to happen, ”says Suparni.
Zaim was recently diagnosed with microcephaly, a disease that is less than average for the baby’s head, which often affects the functioning of the brain.
“Before Zaim was born, his father was a miner. Here, too, he processed gold, and used mercury to process gold, ”says his mother, pointing to the machine next door.
Investigators from a local NGO at the Nexus3 Foundation are investigating her case and other children suspected of being victims of mercury exposure.
Yune Eribowo leads research on mercury and other hazardous chemicals.
“In this area, there are children who are born with less finger or lip collar … some are born without an anus,” says Yun.
According to the World Health Organization, being exposed to a small amount of mercury can pose a serious threat to the development of the fetus in the uterus and a child in infancy.
“Small miners use mercury and store it at home. They also use it in front of children. And for newborns, the exposure is through the mother, ”she says. “Look around here. A few homes do not have processor equipment in their villages. Since the pandemic, people have risen again because of economic problems. “
‘No eyes’
Yune’s team is conducting DNA and IQ tests on local school children to see how far the effects of mercury can spread in this community.
One of the school children involved in the study is a nine-year-old boy named Randy.
The miner belongs to a family that knows firsthand how dangerous mercury can be after being sent to the hospital by a recent accident.
“I saw the liquid on the table and spilled it. I hit him in the face. I couldn’t see anything for four days, ”says Randy.
Her mother, Sa Rah, says it was a terrifying experience.
“Randy’s brother was processing gold and left the mercury lying around. Then Randy spilled mercury all over his face. I panicked and was taken to hospital, ”he said. “He couldn’t open his eyes for four days. Her eyes were swollen and her lips were white.
Randy regained his sight, but it is not clear whether his long exposure to mercury will have a lasting effect.
A boy is taking part in an IQ test organized by the Nexus3 Foundation [Jessica Washington/ Al Jazeera]It is difficult to know exactly how many children are affected by mercury exposure. Some live in areas with limited connectivity, and others have already died without ever interacting with public health systems.
And even children who have no direct connection to mining may suffer the effects of Sekotong’s golden obsession.
“Mercury is in the air we breathe, so the exposure is on a large scale,” says Yune.
Now, Yune’s research team is trying to gather the names of children who may be exposed to mercury exposure.
The baby Narendra was born blind [Fakhrur Rozi/ Al Jazeera]On that list is baby Narendra. The one-and-a-half-year-old was born with no eyes.
“I never imagined I would have an eyeless son. I don’t want this to happen to other parents. It’s very painful, ”said Ni Made Sukermik, his mother.
“The doctor asked me if my husband was a gold miner and I said no. There are gold miners around here but not my husband. I wondered why the doctor asked that. ‘
Me Mad said she doesn’t know what the future holds for Narendra. Narendra is unlikely to send her family to a school for children with disabilities because they cannot afford it.
“Once he can talk, he’ll ask me, why is everything so dark? How do I respond to that? ” he said.
“And if he asks, why can’t I go to school? That’s what I think. I pray for him. ”
Lombok Island is located near Bali, but unlike its neighbor, the tourism industry is largely underdeveloped.
The government hopes this will change soon and has invested in a number of major tourism infrastructure projects on the island.
With a view to making Lombok a global tourist destination, West Nusa Tenggara Governor Zulkieflimansyah says the use of hazardous chemicals in illegal mining activities should not be allowed.
“It’s easy to find Lombok gold. But the earth is so beautiful. We have to choose between tourism and mining, ”he says.
“Step by step, we hope people understand … you can make money in the short term, but in the long run, it can be dangerous for our environment and future generations.”
He says it takes time to educate the public.
“It is a challenge for the government and education institutions to educate people in rural areas,” he says.
“We can’t change their mindset in a minute. They know that habit. But we are optimistic that they will change to new behaviors. ”
While the governor waits for the change, Zaim’s mother has her dreams with her son.
“I hope he walks in and talks someday. It would make me very happy, ”says Suparni.
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