Makeshift tents dot this excavation site at Kasulo township, Kolwezi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where artisanal mining under houses, schools and churches is not uncommon. Shovels consistently strike the hard silvery-white veins of cobalt, used in rechargeable batteries to power Apple gadgets and Tesla cars. Following the finding of the atomic number 27 metal in this neighbourhood, the area has become a patchwork of pits and passages.