CSO Group Creates Awareness Of Skin Bleaching, Artisanal Mining

In line with GEF-CSO Network’s effort to save the environment, the founder and Executive Director of Young Liberian Women Organization For Improvement (WOFIM) and National Coordinator of GEF-CSO Network Liberia, and partners have ended a one-day street awareness.

Madam Kona S. Kollie, who is a Mandela Washington Fellow 2016, and local civil society organizations, Non-governmental organizations and community based organizations carried out the awareness on Thursday, April 25, 2019.

The street awareness was held under the theme: “Stop the use of mercury in artisanal gold mining & stop skin bleaching in Liberia.”

As part of its messages to the public, the group called on the public and stakeholders to desist from the use of mercury in artisanal gold mining and skin bleaching.

The group also spelt out the harmful effects of mercury and its usage in artisanal gold mining activities and skin bleaching.

“You must stop this, because mercury is harmful. It causes abnormalities in children as well as bleaching, and the products are harmful to the body. Use of mercury and bleaching affect pregnancy and bleaching can cause kidney problems,” said the group in its messages.

Madam Kollie and partners also called national government to band the importation of all mercury products especially in artisanal gold mining and in bleaching creams, because of its harmful effects on the environment and human life.

Mr. Melvin Cole, a passerby during the awareness, stated that the use of mercury products especially the bleaching creams are causing serious harm to young beautiful ladies and urged the government to do away such products from the country.

Ms. Paye, another passerby, who spoke to the team during the awareness remarked: ‘It is very bad, the way things are going on in this country, especially in Nimba County, where over 40 of our children got trapped underground in Tapita It is the same thing that happened in Sayewheh Town, Bong County that caused so many people to fall sick, especially the children. So, I am begging you to please come to Bong and Nimba County with this awareness.”