From Mines to Classrooms: The Cobalt Child Labour Project Changing Lives.

Friday 11th July 2025

By inAfrika Reporter

In Congo’s cobalt heartland, 13-year-old Beni Cial Yumba Musoya used to scavenge under the sun for mineral scraps. Today, she sits in a classroom with dreams of becoming a doctor. Her transformation is part of the PABEA-COBALT project a bold $82 million initiative backed by the African Development Bank to end child labour in cobalt mining.

The project has turned pain into promise for thousands. Since 2022, over 13,500 children like Beni have left the mines and entered schools, where they receive free education, healthcare, and psychological support. For many, like former miner Marie Samba, life has changed completely. She now runs a successful poultry farm, thanks to vocational training and starter kits provided by the project.

More than 10,500 parents and 8,200 youths have been supported to switch from mining to sustainable livelihoods in agriculture and small business. Two state-of-the-art entrepreneurship centres have been built to equip communities with tools for lasting change.

Local ownership has been central. Parents, teachers, and youth now drive change from within. Nearly 1,000 cooperatives have been restructured, reinforcing value chains and creating economic alternatives. PABEA-COBALT is not just a rescue mission it’s a long-term development model that is redefining the future of Congo’s children.