In 2024, following senior and long-standing careers in the not-for-profit sector, Mark Preston and Carl Beech travelled independently and self-funded to Kolwezi on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

They gained remarkable access to an artisanal cobalt and copper mine. At great personal risk, they were able to capture footage and images of hundreds of men, women and children mining cobalt and copper.

As you read this page, as many as 40,000 children in DRC are still working the cobalt mines where the minerals for devices such as phones, laptops and TVs are found. The Partnership has a vision to make known the plight of these children, to help companies improve supply chain integrity, and to deploy philanthropy and technology to support improved conditions and opportunities for artisanal mining communities.