FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WITH PICTURES
APRIL 15, 2025
FQM’S NSANSHI ART STUDIO CELEBRATES GRADUATION OF SECOND COHORT
SOLWEZI, ZAMBIA – First Quantum Minerals’ Nsanshi Art Studio celebrated the graduation of its second cohort of lapidary students, highlighting the transformative power of skills development championed through meaningful partnerships between the organisation and local community.
Nsanshi Art is a female-led local initiative established in 2019 with the aim of empowering women, who are gender-based violence (GBV) survivors, in the art of jewellery making using the copper from the mining firm. Funded by FQM through its Kansanshi Foundation which set up the purpose-built workshop and continues to cover all equipment costs and the apprentices’ monthly salaries and benefits, the project is carving out a new path for the women.
The proceeds from Nsanshi Art jewellery sales further help sustain the One-Stop Centre at Solwezi General Hospital and the local safe house – vital resources and support systems for GBV survivors.
North-Western Province Deputy Permanent Secretary, Luckson Mulumbi, lauded the programme as a powerful story of compassion and human development made possible through vision, dedication, and significant investment from FQM’s subsidiary, Kansanshi Mining PLC.
“This more than a corporate social responsibility project. It is a beacon of hope, a place of restored dignity, and indeed a path to economic freedom for the survivors of gender-based violence. What initially began as a jewellery training studio has blossomed into a lifeline for the vulnerable young women here in Solwezi,” Mr Mulumbi noted.
Mr Mulumbi further acknowledged the impact of the mining firm’s significant community investment programmes which extend beyond technical training to include life-changing business and entrepreneurial skills, adding that some graduates have secured employment – within and outside of the mine, while others have used the acquired skills and launched their own businesses adding value to Zambia’s copper and gemstones.
“This is the impact of thoughtful investment…and what corporate social investment looks like when it is done right,” he continued.
Speaking at the same event, Kansanshi Mining PLC General Manager, Meiring Burger, echoed the sentiments stating: “These ladies have committed to turning their lives around and, irrespective of their background and past experiences, have made a success of it.”
Mr Burger further emphasised the mining firm’s broader commitment to empowering women including support for the One-Stop Centre in conjunction with the YWCA and Ministry of Health, fighting child marriages, and providing shelter and education opportunities to the survivors.
“Education is something that you gain and take with you for life,” he asserted, linking it to the Nsanshi programme’s mission of enabling self-sufficiency.
Kansanshi Mining has 255 students on full scholarships nationally and internationally, and over 500 local children receive educational assistance through its education support programmes.
North-Western Province Provincial Gender Officer, Limpo Shkikanu, commended the mining firm for being a key partner in providing the much-needed relief and fresh start for the young women.
“The skill that has been imparted in the girls will take them a long way,” she said stressing the importance of such private sector partnerships in line with the national 2030 agenda for equity and equality as the government seeks to provide opportunities for all.
Debra Mukuka expressed profound gratitude on behalf of the graduating class of 2023, describing Nsanshi Arts as more than just a training programme, but that it is a movement of empowerment, a symbol of hope and a statement in what is possible when women are given the opportunity to succeed.
“Today marks a significant milestone in our lives. Kansanshi Mining has given us an opportunity that very few in the country can give us. We have learned valuable traits, developed our talents, and secured our future for ourselves and our families,” she stated.
Through the Nsanshi Art Studio initiative, First Quantum Minerals continues to demonstrate the impact of meaningful, targeted corporate social investment combined with resolute partners, in transforming individual lives and contributing to the broader socio-economic fabric of the North-Western Province.
-Ends-
About First Quantum Minerals Ltd
First Quantum Minerals Ltd is a global metals and mining company producing mainly copper, gold and nickel. The company’s assets are in Zambia, Spain, Mauritania, Australia, Finland, Turkey, Panama, Argentina and Peru.
In 2024, First Quantum globally produced 431,000 tonnes of copper, 139,000 ounces of gold and 24,000 tonnes of nickel.
In Zambia it operates the Kansanshi mine and smelter in Solwezi, and the Sentinel copper mine and the Enterprise nickel mine in Kalumbila.
The company is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.
http://www.first-quantum.com/
For media inquiries please contact:
Gillian Langmead at Langmead & Baker Ltd;
+260 979 060705;
info@langmead.com