Kids with Machetes

Stacey Dooley’s first documentary series, broadcast in 2009, explores the global issue of child labour.

The second part of her journey takes her to the Ivory Coast where tens of thousands of children are believed to be working in West Africa's cocoa plantations. Many of these children work with machetes and for little or no money. Stacey's mission is to try and find out how and why this can happen, what is being done to prevent it and whether it is possible for an ordinary British girl to make a difference.

Along the way Stacey must tackle government officials and find a way to see what is really taking place in the Ivory Coast.

Amongst the children she meets is an 11-year-old boy who has been working in the cocoa fields and hasn't been able to attend school. But before Stacey can help she must recover from a serious tropical illness, so she flies back to the UK to receive further treatment. Once she is given the all clear she returns to the Ivory Coast to continue her investigation.

When Stacey visits a model school she is inspired to take on a new project. Working alongside local charities, her aim is to expand a local school for the benefit of the community's children.