I think it’s quite normal for a child of 11 to work for his money.
Alexis (15)
When my father died, his second wife didn’t want me anymore. So, my uncle took me to his farm in Ghana.
Cathérine (16)
Don’t ever tell a child they can go to school if you know they never will. If you do, you’ll be shattering a dream.
Laeticia (17)
What I would like to say to the children in the Netherlands is that if they are being treated badly, they can come to us.
Sarata (16)
He promised me money but never gave me any. He let me down. Will I ever forgive him? Maybe.
Bassirou (15)
The reason we had so little money was because my father was trying to build a livelihood, but he died before he was able to.
Augustin (16)
If you ask me: what did you actually learn on the plantation? Then I’d say: football.
Edyon (18)
I was hoping to make some money, but that didn’t happen. I earned nothing, even though I had to work really hard.
Issaka (17)
When I was 15, I saw some men in my village who had come back from the Ivory Coast on shiny motorbikes. I wanted one too.
Ghislain (17)
Don’t just go with someone to another country. There are people who will exploit you.
Josias (19)
It’s very important that you swing the machete away from your body. In the beginning, I couldn’t do that very well and would chop my shin.
Cedric (15)
Sometimes I dream about being a journalist. Then you can travel the world and tell people stories and things they don’t know.
Bèbè (15)
I don’t think a cocoa plantation is any place for children. I think about all the things that could happen to them.
Valerie (18)
I was ten when I came to work on the plantation. Four men watched us all day. They beat us if they thought we weren’t working hard enough.
Mohamed (16)
I’d like to be able to give my children everything they want. When you ask me if I’m not afraid they’ll become spoiled, I get confused. I don’t know that word.
Kassoum (17)