Children are increasingly involved in sand mining in East Africa. The illegal sand trade occurs in mostly remote areas, hidden from sight and out of reach of anti-child labour advocacy campaigns. That makes it hard to determine the exact number of youngsters involved.
Mined sand is widely used in the construction industry and, in the case of sand mined by children, usually in civil projects. In Uganda, underage boys dredge sand from Lake Victoria and from rivers for paltry wages. They use wooden canoes with no protective gear in these fast-moving waters, risking injury or death.