Stainless steel. Cell phone batteries. These require nickel.
I visited a community in the Dominican Republic today where nickel is mined by a U.S. corporation. In this small community dozens of children have been born deaf mutes – some born without any ears at all and others born with additional birth defects like white hair or Down syndrome.
A university is conducting research to determine for certain if the nickel mining is causing these ailments but the locals are positive, research or not, that the mine is to blame. Chemicals used in the mining process flow into the local water supply unrestricted. Ever since the mine came to town this community’s children have been born disabled with alarming frequency.
Compassion has set up a special project, run from a church in the area, that specializes in teaching children with special needs. Compassion ministers to over 300 children there at the moment; 47 of them are deaf mute. I visited today so I could meet a boy named Gabriel who learns and plays there and tell his story to our camera and the world.
Gabriel’s father died when he was very young. His mother, unable to find work often enough, was unable to care for him. Gabriel suffered from malnutrition. His situation was hopeless, even with his extended family pitching in to help his mother.
Today, Gabriel is cared for by Compassion International. His mother works as a house servant so doesn’t live him during the week. When she’s on the job, Gabriel stays with grandmother and her boyfriend in the nicest home we’ve visited in the Dominican Republic – a house shared with another family so it can be afforded.
Gabriel’s sponsor is a young lady named Savannah. Her sponsorship gives Gabriel what all of Compassion’s sponsored children around the world receive – physical, social, economic and spiritual provision – but Savannah’s sponsorship is also giving Gabriel an incredibly unique gift: ears.
Gabriel has had one surgery already. Nine more surgeries from now he will have outer ears and doctors believe he will be able to hear. Until then, Gabriel interacts with the world around him with his hands. He can read and write at a second grade level – a little behind other nine year-olds, but excellent progress for a boy who learned how to communicate much later than his peers.
Gabriel can’t hear but God hears him. Gabriel’s mother, Mercedes, told me that when he learned how to sign he began asking her regularly if he would hear someday. Gabriel prayed he would. Soon, he will.
anne jackson says:
shaun,
your stories from this trip are wrecking me. a totally different experience than africa, but heartbreaking and hopeful all the same. i eagerly await your video. please help show us how we can make wise choices in our purchases here, and bring awareness to these companies without an once of responsibility.
Grovesfan says:
Praise God for Compassion and for sponsors like Savannah. I will be praying for Gabriel.
Beth
Shaun Groves says:
I’m in the airport in Santo Domingo (FREE FAST WiFi!).
Anne, part of what I want to think out loud about is what we’re to do as consumers knowing about these injustices. The answers aren’t so clear for me right now – but I’m hoping you smart readers of mine will help us all figure out what to do once you know a bit more about the situation I’ve seen this week. I hope.
I so want to name these companies too, but I can’t. Not without possibly harming Compassion’s work in these communities in some way. But it’s not hard to find a mining company from the U.S. working in Banao using Google huh?
Linda Sue says:
Whatever we do about any situation (global enough intro?) we always have to consider the law of unintended consequences. TOTAL HYPOTHETICALLY if a large enough group boycotted something, the business responded by shutting down a location and the locals are totally out of work – the consequence of stopping a bad thing is good but the consequence of putting everyone completely out of work is bad. I’m NOT saying don’t do anything – but as followers of Christ I believe we get the double whammy responsibility of what is the right thing to do as well as what is a good thing to do. You no doubt have already thought this all through – I am thinking aloud on your nickel here. Mea Culpa.
Grovesfan says:
Unfortunately, if someone googles the information and comes up with any company name at all and lists it in reference to Compassion, whether it’s accurate or not, could cause problems for the workers there. This is a very delicate matter to be sure that involves the governments of the U.S. and the D.R. and others to be sure. I’m not implying that we do nothing, because I think we should do something (I don’t know what), but we must tread very carefully and weigh out ALL sides and possible scenarios before going off half-cocked somewhere. We don’t want to cause any harm to children, their families, and the program that is doing much to help them. We must all stop, pray hard, and seek discernment, wisdom, guidance and understanding from our great Lord, before we do anything else.
Beth
keith says:
If you’re trying the whole Google thing, use “Bonao,” instead of “Banao.”