If I Die, I Die For Gold - Galamsey Operator - DYING FOR GOLD

DYING FOR GOLD

Although Boutique admits the risks in his profession, he said he is not willing to quit as long as he is energetic.

At the site, energy is of essence as much of the job is manpowered. The guys there were tough in body and openly displayed their muscular shoulders and chests

On the issue of death, Boutique said “this is my job from which I eat.

“If I refuse to work, I will have to go begging and that is not good for a young man like me,” he added and disagreed that his previous job of carrying loads for people in return for money popularly known as ‘kayayei’ was better than the current.

“There is no money in kayayei yet people use to despise us a lot.

“Here, just 0.8 grams of the ore fetches about GHC60 to GHC80. That is a lot of money and could have been my one or two month’s earnings as a Kayayei person down south.

“The only thing with this job (galamsey) is the fear of being killed or injured but that is okay because if I die, I die for money which is the gold,” Boutique said laughing.

PREPARING FOR RETIREMENT

However prosperous the illegal gold mine business is, Boutique said he would not allow his children into it given the need to educate them.

“It is risky and unwise. People have been cheating me because of my illiteracy. I do not want that to happen to my children again,” he said.

Boutique also admitted that he would one day retire from the work as his energy cannot carry-on forever.

But before doing that he said he would have to find a permanent source of living for himself and his family of eight of which he is the bread winner.

Although he admitted the need to regularise galamsey operations in the district, Boutique said his current financial stand was not strong enough to start a joint process towards owing a concession.

He thus appealed to the government and other interested parties to help them with capital and implements as “most of us have fallen in love with the job.

“We do it with our hearts and if they help us, the business will improve and we will be able to mine more gold for the country,” he added.

On his nickname, he said “it is because I only wear dresses bought from the boutique that is how come my friends call me Boutique.”

source: Graphic Business