Burkina Faso is enjoying something akin to a gold rush.

The precious metal generates a huge amount of money for the government, but there is a downside to the boom.

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.

Al Jazeera's Laura Kyle reports from Essakane in northern Burkina Faso.