Burkina Faso is enjoying something akin to a gold rush.<br /><br />The precious metal generates a huge amount of money for the government, but there is a downside to the boom.<br /><br />Of the thousands taking up work in illegal gold mines, many are children, often opting out of school to enjoy the meagre gains earned at mine pits. <br /><br />Al Jazeera's Laura Kyle reports from Essakane in northern Burkina Faso.
