FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WITH PICTURES
SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
FQM’S KALUMBILA MINE SPONSORS 21 LOCALS FOR BUSINESS
TRAINING
KALUMBIA, ZAMBIA – Kalumbila Minerals Limited (KML) has through its Trident Foundation Limited (TFL) continued to equip people in the mine’s catchment area with business skills to promote sustainable community development outside mining activities.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) affiliated Start Your Business (SYB) training was created to help individuals develop business plans and turn their ideas into viable businesses. The programme also supports existing small-scale entrepreneurs in building adequate capacity to achieve self-sustainability. Other key partners include the Musele Chamber of Commerce and Accelerated Growth for SMEs in Zambia (AGS).
The training includes market research, record keeping, marketing, costing, and financial planning; all meant to show how simple business ideas can be actualised.
Trident Foundation Manager, Joseph Ngwira, said that the SYB training would be followed up with mentorship and coaching sessions to help trainees implement action plans from their training. He noted that this would help ascertain the type of support to render the trainees for their businesses to succeed.
“Through our local business development support section, we may provide equipment finance or operating cash as a form of microfinance support based on due diligence results while more training based on how complex or how big the business is can also be facilitated,” he explained.
“Others may have already started their businesses but struggling to sell their products or services, so we may have to connect them to a larger market within or outside the mine catchment area. What is most important is a positive attitude and desire to do better. We also recognize the need to align support with interest and potential hence identification of viable opportunities is driven by what participants believe they can do better if supported.”
Mr. Ngwira added that the foundation would work hand in hand with local SMEs to ensure their businesses become self-reliant and sustainable beyond the mine life.
“Our support is meant to boost economic activities in this area and help the locals improve their livelihoods by generating an income to support their families and community. Our strategy is to promote a realisation that the potential to improve their livelihood is within individuals. The wealth is adequate, but the missing link is the ability to transform the wealth into liquidity so that together we can meet our basic needs,” he continued.
The trainees included women representing village banking groups; youth groups composed of welding and block-making graduates; hair salon owners, and aspiring agrobusiness entrepreneurs.
Mr. Ngwira added that once their businesses take off, the trainees are taken through more coaching to enhance their operational systems and forecast their performance for short and long-term planning.
Representing the trainees, Ms. Muse Musemangeji thanked Kalumbila Minerals Ltd (KML) for empowering community members with business skills. She urged her colleagues to practice what they had learnt if they were to benefit from the business loan facility from TFL.
Through local business support, KML remains committed to investing in sustainable projects aimed at empowering communities to be better prepared to run sustainable businesses even after the mine winds down operations.
-Ends-
About First Quantum Minerals Ltd
First Quantum Minerals Ltd is a global metals and mining company producing mainly copper, gold and zinc. The company’s assets are in Zambia, Spain, Mauritania, Australia, Finland, Turkey, Panama, Argentina and Peru.
In 2020, First Quantum globally produced 779,000 tonnes of copper, 265,000 ounces of gold and 13,000 tonnes of nickel.
In Zambia it operates the Kansanshi mine – the largest copper mine in Africa by production – and smelter and the Sentinel mine in Kalumbila.
The company is listed on the Lusaka and Toronto stock exchanges.
http://www.first-quantum.com
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