I was hugely privileged to hear their stories, be allowed into their homes and make these images. I will never be able to fully understand the hardships that they endured at the hands of the apartheid government but to be able to help bring their stories to life and into the public eye fills me with pride and gratitude.

This photographic series forms part of a much larger project which aims to shed light on other marginalised communities who deserve to have their stories told in the hopes of some form of retribution and reconciliation.

Meanwhile, Ghanaians working in extremely dangerous conditions in small, illegal gold mines, known as galamsey (from the English phrase "gather them and sell"), would have to work continuously for several decades to earn a similar amount. Ghana is Africa's largest gold producer. However, for most resource-rich countries in Africa, this is a double-edged sword, often tied to capitalist neo-colonialism.

According to a report from The Ghana Chamber of Mines, an organization that represents companies involved in the country's mining industry, foreign mining corporations' profits from exporting Ghana's gold totalled $5.1 billion, while unregistered income from smuggling is almost double in 2021. During the same period, these companies invested just $25.7 million (slightly over half a percent of their profits) into the local economy.

The gold extracted in Ghana ends up in China, India, Canada, Switzerland, the U.S., and the United Arab Emirates. However, once it leaves the mine, pervasive corruption almost makes it impossible to trace.

In late August this year, the price of gold broke a historic record, reaching $80,000 per kilogram. This is the result of consistently high demand generated by the world's wealthiest nations. Nearly a third of Ghana's gold is mined illegally in galamsey operations, which support over 3 million people (around 9% of the country’s population), with approximately 1 million directly involved in mining. These workers earn between $3 and $5 a week. Children in the mines work for free, performing low-skill tasks such as digging, crushing, and washing the ore. They also separate gold from crushed rocks using mercury, creating an amalgam that they then heat to evaporate the mercury and purify the gold.

The International Labour Organization classifies illegal mining as "exceptionally dangerous," and the impact on children is particularly harmful—not only endangering their health and lives but also hindering their social and educational development. The hazardous conditions in galamsey mines are not the only threat to workers. In conversations with me, miners admitted that any attempt to extract gold near the mines owned by international corporations ends with a brutal attack by armed guards, who often rob miners of any gold they have found.

Gold mining in Ghana results in irreversible environmental destruction: forests are cut down, and rivers are poisoned with mercury. Satellite research published in the journal Science of The Total Environment shows that in southwestern Ghana alone, between 2007 and 2017, about 47,000 hectares of vegetation disappeared due to galamsey expansion, including 700 hectares in protected areas. Additionally, the internal migration of labour forces leads to a decline in agricultural production (such as cocoa, one of Ghana's most lucrative export commodities) and the collapse of many local industries crucial for the country's proper functioning.

Contact with representatives of the mines owned by international corporations was impossible—they did not respond to any emails or phone calls requesting interviews or meetings during the four years I worked on this story.

Every day, my mother visits my father's grave, the distance is very far from where we live approximately 5 miles, and it is in those moments that I see the true strength of their love. As she lights a candle and sits quietly, I can feel the memories of their life together come flooding back to her. I can see the joy in her smile, even as tears run down her cheeks.

It is in these moments that I am reminded of the power of love. I can see that, for my mother, love is not something that is confined to the past. It is a living force that continues to inspire and guide her every day. Through her example, I have learned that true love is not just about being together in life, but about the ways in which we continue to cherish and honour those we love, even after they have passed. My mother's love for my father is a beautiful testament to the depth and endurance of true love.

To any couples who may be struggling, I want to offer my mother's story as a source of hope and inspiration. Even in the darkest of times, love has the power to guide us and lift us up. It is a force that endures, even after death. I am grateful for the love that my parents shared, and for the ways in which that love continues to inspire me every day. May their love be a guiding light for all who seek to find true love and connection in their lives.