Out of School and at Risk: The Drought's Hidden Impact on Mali's Children

As work opportunities in rural villages are scarce, girls tend to move to big towns, Bamako in particular, where they can easily find jobs as housemaids in well-off households, while boys are more likely to join the labor-hungry industry of southern Mali: gold mining. Far from the protection that a family structure affords, the vulnerability of these children spikes. Child maids are often confined to their employer's house, at risk of exploitation and sexual abuse, yet hidden away. And working conditions in artisanal gold mines can be extremely dangerous. Crushing physical labor, exposure to toxic substances such as mercury, frequent accidents and sexual abuse are all well-documented threats to child miners.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sanj-srikanthan/out-of-school-and-at-risk_b_1653865.html