Computers, smartphones, and the electric grid are pillars that help hold up the modern world. But many of the raw materials that are used in such technology actually come from some of the least developed parts of the world.
Filmmaker Bernhard Warner recently went to the Democratic Republic of Congo to learn more about the lives of people who produce these raw materials.
BERNHARD WARNER
'Maisha: A New Life Outside the Minesâ?
'The conditions on the ground were so stark, and so difficult for these people, and yet the materials that come out of this part of the world enrich so many of us in our lives.â?
Many of the miners in the area are children and pregnant women. They work long days in unsafe areas for barely enough to live on. This has led to a low quality of life and not much of a future for many residents.
But there's a bright spot.
BERNHARD WARNER
'Maisha: A New Life Outside the Minesâ?
'Where the state doesn't function, the Church functions. The Church brings stability. It provides jobs.â?
The filmmakers also visited a school in the area established by the Good Shepherd International Fund. They have also set up vocational education systems and nutrition programs.
Their work has led many families to leave the mines and find a better lifestyle farming or attending school.
The film is called 'Maisha: A New Life Outside the Mines.â? What does the organization hope will happen with the release of this film?
SR. ELIENE BARROS
President, Good Shepherd International Foundation
'One of our goals is just that, raising awareness that we are linked, that many of the minerals we consume here in big cities come from the mines. People there are starting with such hardship, poverty, injustice, and exploitation. Raising awareness and support in countries so they can have a little more justice is something that we can do as a Church.â?
The Good Shepherd Sisters have helped transformed the area with their charitable work. Now they hope they can inspire others to join their efforts.
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