There should be no respect for those who treat human beings as a means and not an end
As ASeS, we seek to combat all forms of illegality in the sectors where we operate: from the exploitation of people, such as caporalato, to the use of substances that are harmful and dangerous to the health of those who work but also in terms of food safety. The logic of profit at all costs has brought Planet Earth to a critical point where
no one seems truly satisfied, secure and a protagonist in their own life. Today we increasingly see individuals intent not on ensuring the welfare of human beings, but on satisfying their own selfish need, making use of the mechanism of subordination. Only a change in the way of acting and thinking, rediscovering the value of human beings and the environment can we set a new course for History. Without presumption and arrogance, but with small steps and with the utmost respect for the local people with whom we work, this is our daily mission.
On February 5, 2020, at least 11 people lost their lives in a landslide at a mine in Montepuez in northern Mozambique.
Montepuez, a main town in the district of the same name in Cabo Delgado Province, is known for its open-pit ruby mines. The valuable ore found in this area attracts illegal miners from Mozambique and several African countries.In many of the artisanal-type mines, low-cost unskilled labor is employed and elementary safety standards for mining are not adhered to. For this reason in Mozambique, there are several cases of artisanal mine collapse. Accidents mostly occur during the rainy time of the year, as prolonged downpours create large landslides on the ground. The Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy (MIREME) ruled on the incident, appealing to all those involved in artisanal mining to abandon illegal mining, “because it does not bring added value.”
Such directions are difficult to follow when these kinds of activities may be the only ones that can ensure personal survival; as O País, a Mozambican news outlet, reports, Illegal miners are generally controlled by middlemen who exploit poverty and unemployment by financing young miners through basic services such as transportation, food, and housing in the areas of the mines.These kinds of services can make all the difference in precarious family conditions where shelter, access to water and food are often daily challenges, and thus many young people see this kind of employment, with risk to their lives, as the only alternative for their future.
Similar situations are also found in the agricultural sector in Mozambique. The “sazonal” (seasonal) recruitment of personnel during harvesting or planting periods represents a real employment opportunity for young Mozambicans.The large agricultural enterprises present in the country are able to hire many employees and to a certain extent guarantee access to a source of income that would otherwise be unattainable, however, the lack of safety and precarious working conditions present in the agricultural production system subject workers to serious health risks.Regulations governing the use of pesticides and chemicals used in intensive-type crops are often not enforced or are not in line with those of more virtuous countries, promoting, in this sense, practices that are harmful to human life.
ASeS in Mozambique, recognizes the value of labor and at the Xinavane Rural Hospital in Maputo Province, promotes natural agriculture by recognizing the importance of innovation and tradition through the application of organic fertilizers and pesticides.
