Amani - Mui Basin Hero

When I first met Amani, he was only fourteen years old. His hands were calloused, his clothes covered in a thin layer of dust, and yet, when he smiled, there was a softness that reminded me he was still just a boy. Amani lives in a small village near Kenya’s Mui Basin, where coal mining and informal underground work have become a means of survival for many families. For him, working underground is not a choice—it is the only way he can provide for his younger siblings after his father passed away and his mother could no longer make ends meet.

He spoke to me quietly, but his words carried weight far beyond his years: “If I don’t work, my brothers won’t eat.” That reality sits heavy with me even now. At fourteen, I was worried about homework and soccer practice. At fourteen, Amani worries about how many hours he can stay underground before his body gives out.

What struck me most was how this connects back to the mission of Re-Electra. In places like Mui Basin, children like Amani are often indirectly tied to the global demand for resources—especially those used in electronics. Copper, cobalt, and other materials essential to our phones, laptops, and batteries are extracted under conditions that put kids like Amani in danger. And when we throw away electronics without recycling them properly, the cycle of harm only deepens: toxic waste ends up in landfills, communities face health risks, and more mining is needed to replace what we carelessly discard.

Meeting Amani reminded me why Re-Electra exists. Our mission isn’t just about collecting e-waste—it’s about creating a chain of responsibility. Every phone we recycle, every battery we properly dispose of, is one less reason for a child to be sent underground. It’s about recognizing that behind every device we use lies a story, sometimes one as heartbreaking as Amani’s.

I don’t want his story to fade into just another cautionary tale. I want it to push us—to take that extra step when it’s easier to just toss an old charger in the trash, to educate our communities about sustainable practices, and to remember that small actions ripple outward. Because while Amani continues to work so his siblings can survive, we have the power to work so that his siblings—and millions of others—might one day thrive.

At Re-Electra, I believe responsible recycling isn’t just an environmental issue. It’s a human issue. And kids like Amani are the reason we can’t afford to ignore it.