FQM Together - Q1 2019 by Langmead & Baker

TOGETHER Issue 1: Quarter 1, 2019

COMMITMENT TO EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WORKPLACE KMP WORKS WITH GOVT ON K1.1M PLAN FOR SOLWEZI HOSPITAL SEIZE FQM EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES URGES CHIEF MUSELE

BOLDER • SMARTER • DRIVEN

NEWS

KMP WORKS WITH GOVT ON K1.1M PLAN FOR SOLWEZI HOSPITAL REHABILITATION

QM has stepped in to replace the roof, doors, electrical wiring and incubators that were damaged by a storm at Solwezi General Hospital’s maternity wing earlier this month. The company has assessed the damage and come up with a detailed plan to restore the premises at an estimated cost of K1.1 million. The entire roof of the hospital’s maternity wing and trusses covering an area of 768sq. metres were blown off during a heavy storm on March 8, 2019. “The company has been engaged in discussion with the government’s provincial administration since March 9 and, together, we have managed to assess the damage and what needs to be done to replace the entire roof. Bills of quantity have since been drawn up by government surveyors and the Kansanshi construction team, and the company has agreed to carry out comprehensive repair work at the hospital,” said Kansanshi Mine public relations manager Godfrey Msiska. Mr Msiska explained that repair works would commence as soon as the debris has been cleared by the provincial and hospital administrations. This is not the first that we are coming to the aid of the hospital. In 2013 FQM pumped K12 million into the upgrading of Solwezi General Hospital to turn it into a modern health institution. This is because the company

has aligned its community initiatives with every one of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a move that puts the mining giant at the forefront of best practice in private sector social investment locally and globally “And Goal 3 aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at any age, addressed by FQM’s various healthcare initiatives and agriculture support. And for FQM, workplace health and community well-being are inextricably linked,” he said. “In order to speed up the repair works, which are estimated to take about six weeks, Kansanshi Mine will deploy its construction division to do the work. The company also plans to hire local contractors in an effort to complete the works on time.

FQM COMMITS TO EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES IN THE WORKPLACE

QM has reaffirmed its commitment to being gender inclusive in its operations and giving equal opportunities to both men and women. We have embarked on a vigorous campaign of mainstreaming gender at Kansanshi and Sentinel. Speaking at this year’s International Women’s Day celebrations, Kalumbila Minerals public relations coordinator, Mirriam Harmon said that in its quest to achieving gender equality the mining firm has designed its workplace and community programmes with the aim of removing barriers to gender equality through skills and local business development training for women.

This year’s Women’s Day was held under the theme “think equal, build smart, innovate for change”. “We are proud of our women engineers, geologists, operators, accountants, planners, human resource, trainers, communicators, metallurgists and lab technicians who have shown boldness by working alongside their male counterparts in achieving the company’s operational goals and targets. “Their ingenuity and drive for perfection contribute to the success of the mine. There is an improvement of 2.5 percent female employees standing at 8.5 percent in 2019 from only 6 percent in 2008,” said Ms Harmon.

Speaking at the same occasion, Kalumbila District Commissioner Robinson Kalota called on various stakeholders, including the public sector, the business community, and traditional leadership, to join the fight for gender equality and remove practices that hinder progress for women and girls, be it at industry, community, church and school. And speaking through his representative, Chief Mukumbi called for respect for women and women’s rights. The traditional leader bemoaned the low number of women applying for land, and urged that women should think of investing in agriculture if they are to play a role in the country’s development.

NEWS

SKILLS TRAINING GIVES KALUMBILA YOUTH EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

ocal youth are learning new skills that will make them more employable in the job market under a new initiative by FQM. The new local operator training programme is complementing government’s efforts to reduce youth unemployment through skills training of young people in communities surrounding Sentinel Mine. There is urgent need to provide youth with the right skills to boost employment and generate economic growth and productivity for the country, believes the company. The training, which brings 20 local youth into the mine to train on various machines, was introduced to provide opportunities for those who did not qualify for FQM’s vocational scholarship programme. Those selected had to pass tests in learning capabilities and aptitude, explained Trident Foundation market linkage facilitator Nancy Chisanga. Some 19 percent of the mine’s workforce now come from the local area. Trident Foundation has conducted systematic training and recruitment of local community members. In 2018, 43 local community members were

hired by the mine, 124 awarded vocational scholarships to trade schools, and eight local operators trained. Ms Chisanga explained that as the industry continues to push the boundaries of automation, long-term solutions are required to ensure those looking for employment have the right the skills. “The company is very passionate in giving back to the community, not just in terms of employment, but also in ensuring that we have a community that is skilled and a community that is self-reliant through local business training,” she said. She added that the company believes that youth employment is one of the key benefits a company can deliver in terms of social and economic impact in the area in which it operates. Against this backdrop FQM has remained committed to fighting youth unemployment, by investing in education and skills training and community development programmes. Some of these programmes have been focused on youth with a view of equipping them with knowledge and skills to identify and exploit economic opportunities in the country.

GOVT RECOGNISES FQM ACTION ON YOUTH EMPLOYMENT

FQM SPENDS OVER US$19M TO SUPPORT SOLWEZI ROAD UPGRADES

n its drive to be a good corporate citizen and relevant in the communities where operates, FQM has in the last seven years invested a total of US$19,292,062 in road infrastructure in the areas surrounding its Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi district of North-Western Province. The mining firm’s Roads Department, in partnerships with Solwezi Municipal Council and Roads Development Agency, has stabilised township roads in Solwezi that were previously in a deplorable state and presented a danger to local people whose livelihoods depend on them. The work is in stark contrast to the bizarre claims in a recent widely discredited pamphlet by an NGO called Southern Africa Resource Watch that falsely claimed: “You need to search hard in each community to find Kansanshi’s investment. All the villages have kept their original character – no running water, no electricity, no tarred roads, and no decent houses. No modernisation. No urban development.” The mining firm is of the firm view that when transport systems are safe and efficient, they provide economic and social opportunities that result in positive multiplier effects such as better accessibility to employment and additional investment.

overnment has commended Kalumbila Minerals for its efforts to create direct and indirect jobs for young people. Youth aged between 18 and 35 make up a third of the company’s 3,527 direct workforce at Sentinel Mine. Kalumbila District Commissioner Robinson Kalota said the country cannot achieve meaningful development without the active participation of its youth. Speaking during the Youth Day celebrations at Kisasa School, he said that the majority of Zambia's population is young and vibrant, and with the energy to drive the development agenda of the country.

NEWS

FQM APPLAUDS EU MINERAL MONITORING PROJECT

he Mineral Production Monitoring Support Project (MPMSP), which has come to a close after four years of operation, has been praised as a key milestone in the quest for greater accountability in the mining sector. The multi-million-euro project funded by the European Union was launched in 2015 to enhance tax collection from mining through effective regulation and monitoring of mineral production in Zambia. Zambia’s extractive industry accounts for about 70 percent of total exports and contributed an average of 11 percent of GDP in the last five years. Data from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) shows that mining accounts for more than a quarter of government’s income, contributing K10.72 billion – over US$1 billion – in 2016. One of the project’s biggest accomplishments is laying to rest unfounded reports in some section of the media claiming Zambia lost more than $3 billion each year through tax evasion, undeclared mineral production and illegal exports from mining firms. FQM country manager General Kingsley said the MPMSP was beneficial to Zambia’s mining industry because it promoted the highest levels of accountability and transparency from all stakeholders, for the benefit of the mining industry and wider society. He said: “The mining sector remains one of the most important pillars of Zambia’s economic growth. But for the country to achieve sustained growth of its economy - and by extension the mining industry - all stakeholders need to ensure mining firms and the rest of Zambia benefit from the country’s natural resources. “The project, among other things, reduces the possibility of mining firms underpaying tax on mineral production, while decreasing the risk of being overcharged on mineral royalties. Promoting transparency and

accountability is a vital ingredient in achieving this quest, and therein lies the importance of the MPMSP.” The €5.37 million project also focused on building capacity within the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Development to re-establish a physical presence on the ground and improve monitoring and inspection programmes in the mines during exploration, extraction, processing and export. It also involved data management, verification and sharing via a ministry-based monitoring system. Previously, government relied solely on information provided by the mining companies themselves for production statistics and other relevant industry data. The MPMSP played a leading role in renovating the Geological Survey Department’s (GSD) outdated laboratories. The chemistry and gemmological labs were fitted with modern equipment worth more than K2.85 million (£271,000) to improve efficiency. The GSD and regional mining bureaux received Portable XRF units to boost accuracy and efficiency in testing and evaluation of various mineral samples from private mining firms. This has made issuance of evaluation reports required for export permit application faster. An improved reporting format dubbed “Form 34” for monthly production by the mines was designed with assistance from the project to facilitate submission of more detailed production and sale of minerals by mines. General Chinkuli noted: “Form 34 has helped create more accurate quantification of the country’s copper production and bring to light instances when mines have under-declared their production. “It has also been useful in instances when mines have been over-charged. The system has helped arms of government determine royalties payable with greater accuracy.

CHIEF MUSELE SETS RECORD STRAIGHT ON WATER QUALITY

is Royal Highness Senior Chief Musele has reassured his subjects that ground water in his chiefdom is safe to drink after government tests confirmed it was not polluted by the Sentinel Mine. The move by the traditional leader heralds a new era in co-operation between the royal establishment and the mine as a result of which FQM has agreed to resume a community water project put on hold last year following attempts by community leaders to blame the mine for naturally occurring water quality issues. The meeting concluded with Chief Musele and Kalumbila Minerals General Manager Morris Rowe signing their agreement of a statement from the Ministry of Water Development, Sanitation and Environmental Protection on the results of investigations by the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) and the Department of Water Resources Development into the quality of water in boreholes around Musele Chiefdom. The report concluded: “Currently, investigation results confirmed that there was no cause/effect relationship between mining activities at Kalumbila Minerals Limited and the water quality grievances.” Senior Chief Musele said: “It wasn’t our intention to blame the mine or to blame anyone. We wanted assistance from anyone. That’s why I decided to come and meet the general manager so that we know the way forward to rebuild our relationship as brothers, not as enemies, so that we can work in harmony.”. “I am very pleased to rebuild our relationship and working together with the mines. Although we differed for some times, today we have reconciled and we have ended everything. We want to work together; we want to develop our area so that people can benefit. We don’t want conflicts. From today onwards we will be working together with the mine.” The agreement followed a meeting between the

Chief and mine management, chaired by NorthWestern Province Minister Hon. Nathaniel Mubukwanu and attended by representatives of ZEMA and the Department of Water Resources Development to agree a way forward on the water project. The Chief rescinded earlier claims by some of his subjects that the mine was to blame for water quality issues. The new spirit of goodwill was welcomed by Mr Rowe, who confirmed that on the basis of the Chief’s agreement to publicly support the foundation’s efforts, work would now resume on the stalled water project. “It has been our commitment from the beginning that we have a good relationship with the community and I am pleased we have set the record straight. We will gladly help on humanitarian grounds. We are part of your community and we will always do our best to continue with our relationship,” he said. Naturally occurring iron in the geological structure of the area has been a visible challenge in water in Musele community boreholes for over two decades, long before mining activities commenced in the area. This is a well-known challenge in areas with similar soils in Zambia, in particular, large parts of North-Western and Northern provinces. Scientific analysis of the water confirmed the naturally occurring iron, which causes water discolouration and a metallic taste. The iron occurs in most of the local soils and is not a result of mining activities. This is backed up by the extensive long-term groundwater monitored programmes initiated by the company before operations began, said the mine. In addition, abnormally high rainfall in the 2017/2018 rainy season, and clearing of vegetation for farming activities caused flooding of a graveyard, which some village residents blamed on the mine, despite a survey demonstrating that the area was uphill of the mine’s activities.

COMMENT

MESSAGE FROM THE BWANAS

he mining industry not just in Zambia, but the world over has undergone unprecedented changes in recent years, pushing the boundaries of automation. However, despite these changes, lack of skills and knowledge transfer continue to be among common challenges affecting the improvement and growth of the mining sector. One of the key requirements to operate in Africa is to train and up-skill the local workforce. This is a worthy objective, but some skills, not least that of management itself, are products of experience and require more time. It is impractical to force timetables for transferring skills. First Quantum Minerals has created an enabling environment where any employee in the company can grow from being a general worker and progressively rise through the ranks. It is for this reason the company has prioritised skills and knowledge transfer and made it the focus of its development agenda. There is a lot of potential for its employees, and to maximise the opportunities requires the opportunity and environment to learn new things. The mining is of the firm believe that having a strong and successful training strategy is key to creating quality longterm employment. Employees with access to training and development programmes will feel better valued and perform in line with the company’s expectations. This is why the company has invested in skills training for its employees and provided a development pathway to help them progress in the company. It has a comprehensive skills development programme already improving operations and boosting workforce productivity. A long-term solution must address the skills gap between expatriates and local people that reflects a shortage of highly skilled and qualified employees. Skills training provides an opportunity for the company to expand the knowledge base of its employees, while enhancing their overall performance. FQM has invested more than US$50 million in education and skills development in Zambia. The education package extends from early childhood education programmes, through all levels of schooling to its Kwambula Training at the Solwezi Trades Training Institute (SOTTI). The window of investment in education and skills training by First Quantum Minerals demonstrates that the private sector can play a pivotal role in catalysing economic growth through Private Public Partnership (PPP) not just in mining, but across all sectors. General Kinsley Chinkuli FQM Country Manager

Published quarterly by First Quantum Minerals Editors: Mirriam Harmon mirriam.Harmon@fqml.com Godfrey Msiska godfrey.Msiska@fqml.com Cell: 0974 113728 Email: info@fqml.com Website: www.first-quantum.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/FQMZambia Design & Layout: Langmead & Baker Ltd gillian@langmead.com; 0979 060705

HOW A WELLCO-ORDINATED WORKFORCE IS FUNDAMENTAL TO COMPANY GROWTH AND SUCCESS By Morris Rowe

t is true to say a company is only as strong as its people. A productive workplace is vital to the success and sustainability of every company. That is why teamwork remains essential to a company’s overall success. And this is why it is crucial to provide a conducive working environment that inspires staff to work in harmony with one another, despite their differences. Understanding the importance of team work Apart from having the right knowledge and key competences for a job, a well co-ordinated workforce is fundamental to increasing efficiency, productivity and the overall success of any business. For a business to be effective, its management should have the ability to understand the importance of teamwork. The company should always ensure it settles staff disputes, while ensuring each employee feels he or she is a key player in the operation and success of the company. A responsible company promotes healthy relationships among employees and the communities where it operates. The challenge, however,lies in finding the right balance between respecting and accommodating the difference in cultural and religious beliefs, while promoting co-existence among the many different nationalities the company many have employed. By investing in the wellbeing of its employees and the communities where they live, the company can record worthwhile returns. A well coordinated and productive workforce helps companies achieve their set goals and objectives. Despite the technological advances in the mining sector, First Quantum Minerals believes one of the most important things at any mine is its people. The people mine the copper, the machinery are but tools to make mining copper easier. The company’s focus, therefore, must be on empowering its people, via training and education. Being a multinational company, FQM believes

despite the many different nationalities among its staff, establishing the right work culture and ethics leads to a happier workforce resulting in a successful organisation. Expatriates transferring skills and knowledge to locals As the mining industry continues to push the boundaries of automation, any serious mining firm needs to put a comprehensive skills development programme in place that can enable the local workforce to contribute to the improving company operations. FQM understands a long-term solution is required to address the skills gap between expatriates and local people, that reflects a shortage of highly skilled and qualified employees. We have identified knowledge transfer and skills training as key drivers of long-term sustainable employment for our workforce. The company has embarked on a skills development programme aimed at creating quality longterm employment for local people,while promoting good working relationships with expatriate workers Appreciating your staff and the local economy Companies need to treat employees with respect and dignity, as well as paying them living wages and benefits tailored to their region. Companies must provide employees with the opportunities to advance and contribute to the best of their abilities through a variety of career paths. Development of the local economy in which any multinational company operates is a key priority.This can be achieved through dialogue, and working in partnership with, local communities. Direct employment is one of the key benefits a mine delivers in terms of social and economic impact. Skills training, entrepreneurial programmes and efforts to foster local economic development are also vital for long-term sustainable prosperity. These can only be made a reality through teamwork and co-existence.

PEOPLE

PROFILES

JOB OPPORTUNITIES Job title

Contract type

Location

Closing date

The Senior Specialist, Group ICT Security

On-going

London

17 May 2019

The Senior Specialist, Group ICT Security Role reports to the Head of ICT Security and supports the driving of the IT security strategy and implementation whilst protecting the business from security threats and cyber-hacking.

Mine Maintanance Manager

On-going

Kalumbila (140km west of Solwezi)

30 Apr 2019

To manage the activities of the Mining Fleet Maintenance section in order to maintain the Reliability and availability of the Sentinel Mining fleet assets. This will involve maximizing the utilization of the resources to achieve cost savings, continuous improvement initiatives, and utilization of synergies throughout the area. In essence this role is to oversee and manage the activities of the Fleet Maintenance section so as to ensure the application of appropriate levels of safety and productivity are maintained in order to meet safety cost and productivity targets.

Truck Coordinator

On-going

Donoso

Provide Mentoring and leadership to all team members within the group. To coordinate the activities of the Maintenance and Contractor work across shifts and to ensure that adequate resources are available to meet production and maintenance needs.Provides maintenance support to the site teams carrying out a range of reliability improvement projects and larger routine maintenance activities as directed by the Maintenance Superintendent.

Storeman(Port)

On-going, Fixed Term

Donoso

MICHAEL KABUNGO: PLANTING THE SEED A VISION FOR A NEW TOWN

Mr Kabungo worked for the Lusaka City Council for almost 15 years before moving to Kabwe where he worked as Director of Planning before moving back to Lusaka then later moved to Choma in Southern Province to take up the position of Director of Planning upon relocation of the provincial capital of Sothern Province from Livingstone to Choma. This was his was his last posting in the civil service before moving into private consultancy. He said that it was after he ventured into freelance Urban

JOSEPH NGWIRA: FIXING TOMORROW, TODAY

30 Apr 2019

Proporciona servicios de oficina implementndo sistemas administrativos, procedimientos y politicas y monitoreando proyectos administrativos.

Project Supervisor

On-going

Donoso

17 May 2019

Reporting to the Project Engineer, the Project Supervisor is responsible for onsite civil and structural engineering work and for coordinating with the Construction team, to ensure the best construction strategies and practices are applied during the Operations phase are completed safely and on time.

The Senior Specialist, Group ICT Security

On-going

Akjoujt

30 Apr 2019

Reporting to the Chief Geologist, the Senior Mine Geologist will be responsible for developing and aligning the geological function with the MCM business strategy and to pro-actively lead the team to achieve long, medium and short term objectives safely and efficiently. Mauritanian Copper Mines SA is an established open-pit copper and gold operation.

Joseph Ngwira is Head of the Environmental Management Department at First Quantum Minerals’ Sentinel Mine in Kalumbila, North-Western Province. He was one of the environmentalists who spearheaded the development of the company’s advanced environmental protection strategies that aim to minimise the mine’s impact on the natural environment. Mr Ngwira also contributed to the creation of a robust rehabilitation plan that will see the land affected by mining activities returned to nature at the end of the mine’s life.

PEOPLE

and Regional Planning and Environmental Management consultancy, that he was approached by the Kalumbila Town Development Corporation to join the team the setting up of the new Kalumbila town. “Initially when I moved to the Copperbelt University I wanted to do architecture. But later on, during my studies and after doing extensive discussions with one of my lecturers Professor Taylor, my interest shifted to spatial planning which is on a larger scale than architecture. But at the same time, I also developed a lot of interest in environmental issues and that’s how I did a combination of urban planning and environmental management,” narrated Mr Kabungo. Mr Kabungo’s vision of Kalumbila is to implement a well-planned, fully integrated town that provides a vibrant base for socio-economic growth – and that can serve as a model for such communities in Zambia and throughout Africa. “At the time I was joining, the original design had already been completed. I came in at the implementation and further development of the town was being done. Because I worked on already developed cities, it was exciting to come and work on a greenfield project, where you are a developing a town right from scratch. And there was completely nothing here and it has been quite an exciting experience for me to be part of this project,” he said.

Through his work, Mr Ngwira is living proof that Zambian specialists can make significant contributions to the creation of pioneering solutions to challenges faced by sectors of the economy that can hinder investment in those industries. “I joined Sentinel Mine in 2011 as an environmental officer. I have seen the mine grow from a team of about 14 senior employees, the majority of whom were geologists, to today when we have about 5,000 people,” narrates Mr Ngwira. “In terms of environmental protection, one thing that has worked well for us at First Quantum Minerals is thinking ahead. The environmental department has been heavily involved in the mine’s development from the time we received the go ahead to proceed, from prospecting to the mine construction phase. “The project concept was availed to the environmental team from the moment it was finalised, allowing us to analyse what could be done right from the start to avoid environmental pollution during the mine’s growth while also developing a plan to recover our natural environment at the end of the mine life.” To reduce end of mine liability, FQM has been stockpiling tonnes of top soil from the day it started its operations in preparation for environmental rehabilitation. The top soil will overturn the adverse effects any mining activity may have had on the land’s ability to grow vegetation.

ENVIRONMENT

FQM SETTING THE STANDARD FOR ZERO WATER DISCHARGE

ollution of the natural environment is generally viewed as an inherent consequence of the complexity of largescale commercial mining, which often negatively affects communities when harmful emissions find their way into the environment. To minimise the negative impact on the environment, Kansanshi Mining has established a pioneering water recycling system using cutting-edge technology to prevent effluent from getting into external water bodies. Environmental Manager Arnold Malambo says there are three main sources of contaminated water on a mine site - process water, mine drainage and surface runoff. “Water is a very important resource in mining. Without adequate amounts of water, your processing can be affected,” he explained. Water used in mineral processing will inevitably come into contact with metals. Generally,

metals, particularly those dissolved in water, are not environmentally friendly. Any water that a mine discharges into the environment must meet strict standards set by the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) to avoid it becoming a pollutant. Mr Malambo notes that meeting minimum compliance standards regarding environmental pollution is a common problem for mines the world over. “What we have done better than other mines is that we have been able to maintain a zero rate of discharge into the receiving environment,” he said. In 2015 Kansanshi developed a rigorous water recycling system to ensure contact water does not reach the natural environment even after it had been treated in the sedimentation ponds along the mine’s water treatment system. Any incidental overflows from the process plant go through a series of

sedimentation points where solids are settled before going to a final pond at the compliance point. Here, the treated water is pumped back to the process system for reuse through a 1.7 kilometre long pipe. The mine has installed an automated monitoring system to ensure the effluent remains within ZEMA’s minimum requirements. The system also has an early warning system that generates ‘SMS’ notifications to Environmental and Process staff if water levels approach a critical point, to avoid pond overflows. “Over the last three to four wet seasons, we have only had no more than five instances when we discharged effluent into the environment via our discharge point licensed by ZEMA. This is a rare fit for a mine not only in Zambia but across the globe, especially considering that heavy rainfall tends to increase the amount of water in the holding ponds hence the need to

discharge,” explained Mr Malambo. “The benefit of this is that we have improved our water resilience index in that we are drawing less water from surrounding streams thereby making more water available to other users. If you disturb an area’s aquatic ecosystem through pollution, you inevitably affect the human population that depends on it.” Zambia Environmental Management Agency Principle Inspector for North Western Province, Morrison Songwe said the general water quality in Solwezi in the context of industrial pollution was good. “We have done a number of random inspections at FQM, Kansanshi mine looking at their water handling system and our results show no evidence of pollution from the mine in the area’s surface water. This is the water in Kifubwa and Solwezi River as well as Mutanda stream” said Mr Songwe.

“There is an area where they have been licensed to discharge water into the environment and this area showed zero discharge during each of our inspections. Further, we also found no evidence of effluent in the mine’s holding pond from which they are supposed to discharge. We can, therefore, safely say there is zero discharge from the mine going into the environment. However, further work needs to be done to understand what is going on with underground water, he added. There is

ongoing work earmarked to be undertaken soon to iron out the areas of improvement. This work will be carried out by various stakeholders including water affairs, North Western Water Supply and the mines in the area.” “This system is the standard that other mines should follow. We would like to encourage them to come and have a look at how FQM is handling water from tailing storage facilities, the processing plant and storm water to ensure nothing goes into their surrounding

environment,” he concluded. Mr Malambo noted that “The initiative we undertook as FQM to ensure we remain a zero discharge mine demonstrates our ethos of being Bolder, Smart, Driven and Together. It is the togetherness of all players involved that has enabled First Quantum Minerals to achieve all these milestones and protect surrounding communities from industrial water pollution. To us, water stewardship is one of our biggest priorities.”

COMMUNITY NEWS

FQM REINFORCES APPROACH TO CIVIL SOCIETY DIALOGUE

QM remains open to dialogue with civil society organisations (CSOs) and has pledged to continue its on-going programme of interaction in order to foster transparency about its support for communities around Kalumbila and Kansanshi. The company has a regular programme of engagement with legitimate non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to keep them abreast of

the mine’s sustainability programmes and community engagement projects, confirmed Kansanshi Foundation Manager Bruce Lewis. “As a mine that values community development – much like most CSOs – we have cultivated strong partnerships with NGOs to enhance our mutual service delivery to local communities,” he said. “Part of this collaboration involves the exchange of large amounts of data

COMMUNITY BANKS RAISE K12.6M

omen in communities around the Kansanshi and Sentinel mines have raised more than K12.6 million in loan portfolios thanks to FQM’s community banking initiative. The women-led community banks have transformed the lives of many local people, providing them with funding for their small businesses, while improving financial literacy. The unique economic development initiative was launched in mid-2014 by First Quantum as part of its livelihood improvement programmes. “These village banks are the foundation of economic development in the local community, changing traditional attitudes about gender roles, while encouraging members of these communities to adopt a culture of saving money,” said Kansanshi Mine public relations manager Godfrey Msiska. Through its livelihood projects, First Quantum is empowering women in income-generating activities, and giving them an opportunity to engage with the company’s Kansanshi and Trident foundations.

regarding sustainability projects underway in Kansanshi between FQM and NGOs, including Zambia Land Alliance, Diakonia, Youth Alliance for Development, Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) and Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR). “The data-sharing serves both as a way of updating our cooperating partners on the projects we are working on to avoid duplication of

sustainability programmes by organisations on the ground, as well as to demonstrate the positive impact the mine’s programmes are having on the local population in order to promote accountability.” Each month, Kansanshi and Trident Foundations send out a detailed sustainability report to civil society organisations as well as other organisations that may request a copy of the reports.

FQM INVESTS OVER US$27.8M IN LIVELIHOODS PROGRAMMES IN SOLWEZI

n its drive to help end poverty, fight inequality, and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind, First Quantum Minerals has in the last five years invested over US$27.8 million in communities surrounding Kansanshi Mine. The company believes that for sustainability programmes to yield the best outcome, investors must weigh long-term aspirations against immediate practical goals. This includes from health programmes - HIV, malaria and the construction of clinics; conservation farming; education and scholarship programmes; and infrastructure and local business development programmes. “First Quantum has aligned its community initiatives in communities surrounding its Kansanshi Mine with Zambia’s Seventh Nation Development Plan as well as every one of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a move that puts the company at the forefront of best practice in private sector social investment locally and globally,” said country manager General Kingsley Chinkuli. Gen. Chinkuli said the mining firm believes that true economic growth of a country is reflected in the state of health, education, agriculture and quality of life that its citizen live, and that if CSR programmes are properly and intelligently marshalled the sustainability of the communities are a direct spin-off.

SEIZE FQM EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES URGES CHIEF MUSELE

enior Chief Musele of the Lunda-speaking people of Kalumbila District has called on his subjects to take advantage of FQM’ education programmes in his chiefdom by ensuring that they send their children to school. The traditional leader was speaking as Trident Foundation handed over a 1 x 3 classroom block at Kalumbila North School, built at a cost of K357,740. His support was part of the new era of co-operation between FQM and the people living in the areas around its Sentinel Mine. The classroom block, which was built in collaboration with the community’s Parent Teachers Association (PTA), comes barely two weeks after a brand new community school was handed over to Mukila Wantambu community in the Musele Chiefdom of Kalumbila district. The community provided 25 percent of the work undertaken on the new classrooms by burning the bricks and providing labour, while FQM provided all materials for the building. Delivering the speech on behalf of Kalumbila district

commissioner, Kalumbila district administration officer Frank Siyatwiinda thanked the company for its continued support to education. Speaking at the same event, district education board secretary Mutinta Mubanga commended the community for their initiative to partner with the mine on the school project, which shows their commitment to ensuring that their children get a good education. FQM’s environmental manager Joseph Ngwira said lack of school infrastructure had been cited as one of barriers to the provision of quality education especially in rural areas.

FQM-FUNDED SCHOOL BRINGS EDUCATION CLOSER

hildren will have easier access to school, improving their attendance rates and education outcomes, thanks to construction of the new Mukila Wantambu Community School in Senior Chief Musele’s chiefdom in Kalumbila District. The facility, built by FQM at a cost of K708,000, was handed over to the Ministry of General Education. The new school was built is part of the mining firm’s education development programme aimed at providing access to quality education in communities surrounding its mining operations. Speaking during the handover ceremony, Sentinel assistant general manager Gordon White said the

COMMUNITY NEWS

new school would lessen challenges that the community faced in terms of long distances, which has led to high dropouts and absenteeism by pupils around communities near the mine. “As a partner in development, First Quantum Minerals believes that quality education is the most sustainable tool that empowers communities towards national development. We support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on quality education. “Through our sustainability programmes, we also believe in supplementing Government efforts to improve service provision and provide quality education by training of teachers, provision of scholarships, learning aids and

infrastructure.” said Mr White. He said that good education infrastructure and improved education standards can have a profound impact on student performance. In the last four years the mine has supported education programmes including construction of a classroom block at Wanyiwa Basic School in Shinengene. Also construction of a new kitchen with a dining area at Jiundu Secondary School, fencing of the girls’ dormitory and VIP toilets for better sanitation; construction of a classroom block, toilets and three teachers houses at Kisasa School; and a classroom block and three teachers’ houses at Musele school.

HEALTH

FQM INVESTS HEAVILY IN SOLWEZI’S HEALTH

ansanshi Mining, has demonstrated its commitment to improving the health standards of communities in Solwezi through massive investments in sustainability programmes in the area. “Our number one strategy is partnership with Ministry of Health and key health partners in order to align our efforts within the MOH plan and policy framework, guidelines and regulations. This ensures effective use of resources and sustainability, explained projects and programmes advisor Gertrude Musunka. The firm’s focus areas include HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), tuberculosis (TB), malaria, water hygiene and sanitation, non-communicable diseases, systems strengthening and girl empowerment, adolescent and school programmes. The mine’s work has also been endorsed by Solwezi District Commissioner Rosemary Kamalondo, who confirmed Kansanshi Mine’s anti-malaria programme is in line with government’s ambitious plan to eliminate malaria by 2021. She added that it was gratifying to have a partner in FQM’s Kansanshi Mining, complementing government efforts in the provision of quality healthcare services in Solwezi district. Kansanshi Foundation has funded an ambitious Solwezi General Hospital infrastructure upgrade programme over recent years that has given the hospital a much-needed facelift. The infrastructure project involved building of an independent wing that is now being used as an incomegenerating ward. This ward provides a second reliable and sustainable source of income to the hospital apart from the government’s monthly grant. Other areas of support include building of a hospital administration block and critical areas such as the emergency area, intensive care unit, ambulance parking area and renovation of the operating theatres. Kansanshi Mining tarred the road from the Solwezi General Hospital entrance to the ambulance parking area at a cost of K798,852, fenced the hospital to provide security and curb trespassing, and sunk a borehole to help improve water supply at the hospital. The mine has also donated medical equipment, including an anaesthetic machine and theatre table valued at

K285,000, to help improve service delivery in surgical procedures. Solwezi General Hospital is a critical institution in NorthWestern Province as it caters not only to Solwezi District, but also the entire province as it is a referral hospital. “As FQM’s Kansanshi Mining we do not want to reinvert the wheel or duplicate the efforts of government, so we support the government plan for effective and efficient use of resources. All our efforts are guided by MOH policies, for example the government has got its own standards for building different levels of facilities, ranging from health posts to hospitals, and how and where things like toilets or incinerators should be built,” explained Mrs Musunka. Under the malaria programme, Kansanshi Mining has partnered with the Solwezi District Health Management team and trained more than 20 community malaria agents to help combat malaria using seek-and-treat activities at household level in Solwezi. The target communities include Kabwela, Kapijimpanga, Kyafukuma and Muzabula. “They have been trained to screen malaria using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs), treat uncomplicated malaria using Coartem, and identify and refer complicated cases to the clinic. This is a huge saving on much-needed national resources as it is cheaper to treat a simple case of malaria than a complicated one. “We also work with the district management teams on indoor residual spraying, mosquito net distribution and research studies such as entomology and malaria prevalence surveys,” explained Mrs Musunka. At as part of the systems strengthening pillar, First Quantum Minerals sponsors the implementation of two mobile primary care support units that visit 14 rural health centres in Solwezi and Kalumbila, through its implementing partner CHAMP, at an annual cost K2,640,000. The mobile units are staffed with qualified healthcare workers that give fortnightly support ranging from screening and treatment of ailments, children and antenatal clinics. This programme has been running since in 2014, during which time more than 100,000 individuals have been reached - equivalent to about 40 percent of Solwezi’s population based on the 2010 census.

FQM STEPS UP ITS MALARIA CONTROL PROGRAMMES

QM has stepped up its malaria control programmes to reinforce the national malaria programme within communities surrounding Sentinel Mine. As peak malaria season approaches, FQM through its public-private partnership has taken a holistic approach to health, inspiring communities to practise better malaria management and encouraging other private enterprises to lend a hand. “At the close of 2018, the mining firm’s Indoor Residual Spray (IRS) programme, sprayed 16,000 structures in Musele Chiefdom, while a total of 9,476 community members were screened for malaria with 2,520 cases were treated,” said First Quantum Minerals’ health programmes and projects adviser Gertrude Musunka. The company is of the firm belief that with proper investment, expanded coverage, consistent and proactive engagements with multiple stakeholders, the country can record major gains in the fight against malaria. “IRS is a highly technical process and demands vigorous and thorough training of all personnel involved in order to achieve the intended impact. “Training of all the personnel involved in IRS was done in collaboration with the Government’s District Health Office. This training is designed to provide specific skills to personnel involved in the IRS campaign so that they are able to spray structures correctly,” explained Ms Musunka. Ms Musunka explained that the mining firm has trained community members as malaria agents whose main

task is to screen and treat uncomplicated malaria at household level and also offer education that includes recognising the early signs and symptoms of malaria and the importance of adhering to malaria treatment. While FQM is proactive in implementing its community programmes, the mining firm believes it cannot effectively work without help from the community. “Local leaders play a particularly important role in spreading messages and influencing the community positively, and also working within line ministries ensures that all the programmes are implemented within the Government policy framework,” she said. FQM invests heavily in the communities in which it works. The company’s focus areas are HIV/AIDS/TB, malaria, water hygiene and sanitation, non-communicable diseases, health systems strengthening and girl empowerment/school programmes. “In 2018, 5,282 community members were also screened for HIV/AIDS and syphilis; and the HIV positive cases were reffered for treatment and syphilis cases were treated. Meanwhile, 630 pit latrines were emptied in resettlement communities, extending life of pit latrines by another five years,” said Ms Musunka. The mining firm believes a responsible company supports the health and well-being of its employees and the communities where it operates. The challenge lies in finding the right balance between immediate clinical care and longer-term education and prevention.

EDUCATION

FQM INVESTS $8.4M TO ENSURE INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE QUALITY EDUCATION

n its quest to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, First Quantum Minerals has invested US$8.4 million of its community development expenditure of US$59 million in improving education and training infrastructure and services in schools and colleges in North-Western Province since 2011. FQM has supported the education sector with a broad basket of educational initiatives that include scholarships, apprenticeships, and the construction and funding of trade schools in recent years. Literacy levels have improved from 29 percent in 2012 to 50 percent in 2017 in schools supported by the mine under its community development work, which is aligned to the UN Sustainability Goals on poverty reduction, quality education, gender equality and decent work and economic growth. “In 2018 alone and at our Kansanshi mine operations only, we spent a total of US$4.8 million on our sustainability and community development programmes by aligning the Kansanshi corporate social responsibility programmes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The overall objective of our socio-economic development programmes is to improve the quality of life for our employees, their families and their immediate communities,” said FQM country manager General Kingsley Chinkuli. Gen. Chinkuli explained that FQM’s inclusive and equitable quality education strategy encompasses the company’s extensive education programmes at both its Kansanshi and Kalumbila Mines, including the Kansanshi Quality Education Improvement Programme (KanEQuIP), support for Early Childhood education (ECED), Solwezi Trades Training programmes and numerous school projects. The mining firm has also launched an Innovations in Education programme aimed at creating accountability in a combined 45 schools around its Kansanshi and Sentinel mine sites in North-Western Province and providing resource support to these schools, and awarding over 100 scholarships to top performing local children to attend private schools. The action by FQM firmly discredits the false allegations about education in a recent report by an NGO called Southern Africa Resource Watch that claim: “Access

to health, education and clean water is a basic human right. By not providing quality water, education and health, Kansanshi Mine is undermining human rights in these communities. Instead of uplifting communities, the education and health facilities provided by Kansanshi have often worsened the situation of ordinary people.” The mining firm has observed that large class sizes, poor school attendance and high education staff turnover remain key challenges, adding that the company has also awarded 124 vocational scholarships to trade schools and 8 local operators trained in 2018. At tertiary level the company has awarded university scholarships and supported public universities with labotatory equipment and books in engineering disciplines all to the tune of US$7.2 million. “Through our Kansanshi Foundation in Solwezi and Trident Foundation in Kalumbila we have stepped up our campaign to end poverty, fight inequality, and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind in the communities where we operate,” said Gen. Chinkuli. To reaffirm that commitment to ensuring the book-topupil ratio is reduced, FQM has since 2013 bought and distributed more than 75,000 textbooks in mathematics, English, science and creative and technology studies to 28 schools reducing the ratio from more than one book per 15 pupils, to one book between four in 2016. In the same period, the company has either supplied or rehabilitated more than 3,000 desks that helped alleviate a critical shortage of desks in the schools. This is in addition to providing continuing professional development towards better education delivery to more than 100

headteachers and deputy headteachers and more than 350 primary schools teachers in Solwezi. The company also recognises that literacy skills among school children are only sustained when pupils have materials to read, especially for pleasure. To this effect and starting this year, FQM has provided 300 copies of novels written by Zambian authors covering topical issues such as child marriages, gender-based violence and the value of education in personal and national development. Education, health, employment and overall prosperity – everything begins with a stable, comfortable home. For a mining company like FQM, helping to create strong, well-managed communities is both a social responsibility and a business imperative “In supporting government’s language of instruction policy, we have also partnered with Read to Succeed in the procurement and distribution of 122 reading toolkits containing Kikaonde reading books on various topics to all government schools in the old Solwezi district,” said Gen. Chinkuli. The overall objective of FQM’s socio-economic development programmes is to improve the quality of life for its employees, their families and their immediate communities. It does this by, among others, improving education infrastructure and services. Education is a transformative investment and its benefits to the community will outlive FQM’s mining operations in North-Western Province. In this regard, the company takes its corporate socal responsibilities very seriously by ensuring that it supports the communities’ educational needs.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

REMOVING BARRIERS TO THE GROWTH OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES

ocal Business Development programmes established by the Trident Foundation have helped to remove barriers to small and medium enterprise growth, and link local businesses to economic opportunities in the Sentinel Mine, Kalumbila Town and beyond, including international market linkages. Key successes of this program include supporting local livestock farmers to setup the Trident Livestock Multi-Purpose Cooperative. The Trident Foundation provides treatment for 890 community cattle out of approximately 1000 cattle population (89%). The percentage of health animals has increased from 3.3% to 46.4% since the program

ocal Business Development continues to be vital in helping remove barriers to small and medium enterprise growth, and link local businesses to economic opportunities in Kalumbila Town and beyond, including international market linkages. In 2017, the Trident Foundation formalized and trained 83 local businesses from Musele Chiefdom. The candidates were selected by a village-level roadshow with Musele Chamber of Commerce, offering business formalization, training and selected micro-loans to local entrepreneurs. Interested businesspersons were required to show commitment by registering their business with PACRA before being eligible for training and microloans.

commenced in 2017. The Trident Foundation has identified two investors who have expressed interest in constructing local abattoirs for purchase of cattle from the local herds and supply to the mine canteen and town supermarket. The Trident Foundation is also running a Broiler Chicken Project, which has supported local farmers in 201 with chicken coups, day-old chicks, vaccines, feed and vitamins as well as training, mentorship and monitoring. The project has been successful with 10-25% profit margins due to local demand for chickens. The project has full financial sustainability with 100% payback of inputs by the farmers, and is moving to upfront payment for inputs.

Local farmers feeds his chickens

Improving the productivity of the local livestock population

FQM is helping the local communities to be self-reliant

Providing local farmers with knowledge and skills on how to grow their businesses. FQM believes that skills and knowledge play a vital role in combating joblessness while also driving sustainable development.

FARMING

COMMUNITIES TAP INTO FRESH VEG POTENTIAL

MORINGA PROJECT TO IMPROVE NUTRITION IN NW PROVINCE

ommunities around the Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi are being given moringa trees as part of a village nutrition programme to improve the nutrition levels of the local population. The highly nutritious plant is rich in vitamin A, calcium and protein as well as vitamin C, iron and potassium, and is also said to have immune-boosting and disease fighting properties. Seeds have been distributed to 2,800 farmers under Kansanshi Foundation’s conservation farming programme, which farmers have propagated in their own sleeves and planted out. The foundation is looking at how the crop can be grown at household level to enhance food security, while improving nutrition in communities. “We have done trials on moringa here at the foundation and the results have been very pleasing. We are cutting and drying moringa on a daily basis and have accumulated a healthy stock of dried powder which would sustain a family and their village livestock for a year off a 20x10 metre plot if done properly,” said sustainability manager Bruce Lewis. Regarded as a ‘superfood’, moringa enjoys demand from nutritionists as well as farmers, who regard it as an affordable source of quality fodder for their cattle when harvested and processed correctly. “It’s a difficult crop to establish, but the whole premise of this project is based on the correlation between nutrition and education. We will provide seeds and training to the farmers on how to grow, harvest and process moringa,” said Mr Lewis. The project will avoid the pitfalls associated with some other moringa projects grown for trading, and would instead focus on the plant as a source of household nutrition, he added. FQM has aligned its community initiatives with every one of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a move that puts the mining giant at the forefront of best practice in private sector social investment locally and globally. “The moringa project is in line with SDG 2, which seeks to end hunger, achieve food security and improved

itchen Gardens are emerging as a source of nutritious fresh vegetables and a new business opportunity for families living around the Sentinel

Moringa seedlings

nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture,” ready for distribution he explained. at FQM’s Kansanshi The mining firm has invested heavily in Foundation nursery. communities where it operates, with health programmes including HIV awareness, malaria and construction of clinics; conservation farming; education and scholarship programmes; infrastructure and gender equality programmes. Since project inception in the 2010/2011 season, more than 30,000 farmers have benefited from the conservation farming programme. In the last nine farming seasons, FQM has concentrated on improving people’s livelihoods in terms of agriculture. Its sustainability programme has helped ensure easy access to the best farming practices for communities around its Kansanshi mine in North-Western Province and Sentinel Mine at Kalumbila. “Conservation farming, with crop rotation and sound agricultural practice, has helped farmers under our community support projects to improve yields by up to 900 percent, while ensuring they are farming in a way that does not harm the land,” he said. The company has spent over US$43 million on its sustainability and community development programmes by aligning its Kansanshi and Trident foundations’ programmes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The overall objective of its socio-economic development programmes is to improve the quality of life for its employees, their families and their immediate communities. Despite the mining sector’s current cutbacks as a result of the introduction of higher taxes this year, the company will continue to undertake key development programmes in health, education, livelihoods and wildlife conservation, but will apply a higher level of scrutiny on all expenditure. “FQM takes the continuity of sustainable development programmes in local communities very seriously. It is essential that we continue with the critical programmes so that we do not lose the progress we have made in our local communities over the last decade,” said Mr Lewis.

Mine, Enterprising households – often spurred by women – are seizing the opportunity of support and training from the company’s Trident Foundation experts to learn new techniques to grow vegetables around their homes. “The Kitchen Garden initiative has helped me provide enough food for my family while also giving an opportunity to start my own small business,” said Susan Katambi, one of the first participants in the programme in Kalumbila. “The project has equipped me with the skills I needed to maximise yield from my small plot of land in my front yard. All my children are well nourished, and I even have enough to sell to my neighbours and at the market, which I couldn’t do before.” The mother of six said she found fulfilment in growing her own food and was hopeful of refining her skills with the help of agricultural extension officers from FQM to expand her garden and increase her sales. The mine has employed and trained extension officers from the local communities to act as a link with the town’s households. The programme helps low-income households around the mine in Kalumbila to maximise the potential of their subsistence gardens and make them a viable alternative source of income. Anecdotal data shows that about 96 percent of households in Kalumbila town practise subsistence farming as either their primary or supplementary source of food. However, there is evidence to suggest many farmers generally focus on growing crops with low nutritional value while also using inefficient farming methods. This trend has perpetuated the high levels of malnutrition and stunted growth in Zambia. According to the 2014 Zambia Demographic and Health Survey, North-Western Province has a malnutrition rate of 37 percent while Zambia stands at 40 percent – the third worst prevalence in the world. First Quantum Minerals Livelihood Coordinator Christopher Chenga says the Kitchen Gardens Initiative was set up by Trident Foundation partly to assist people who could not secure employment at the mine, with an alternative means of maintaining their livelihoods. “In as much as we place priority on employing local people, we cannot employ everyone. There is a limit to how many employees the mine can have at any given time, thus some people will inevitably not be able to find work. Where people have no jobs there is scarcity of money and food. And at FQM, we weren’t going to sit back and allow the situation to grow hopeless,” he said.

FARMING

Through its Trident Foundation, the company devised the programme to tackle unemployment along with three other cardinal issues in these communities: • Food security – the aim is for each household to produce their own food. • Improved nutrition – Agricultural extension officers encourage local people to grow a wide variety of nutritious vegetables, both local and exotic. • Business opportunity - These gardens have potential to generate a reasonable amount of money for the families involved in the programme, acting as an alternative source of income for the family. The participants in the project can sell their excess produce at the local markets and through the FQM market linkage programme. The extension officers pay frequent visits to local communities and train community members in modern farming methods to improve yield and explore how they can turn their backyard gardens into viable businesses. Mr Chenga explained that the Trident Foundation does not take a teacher-to-pupil approach when training the community but instead acts as a facilitator for selfsufficiency in surrounding townships. Livelihood diversification is a vital aspect of developing the communities around Sentinel Mine. Economic diversification begins at the individual level. The key is to ignite the desire for new avenues of personal growth and financial independence that translate to community and eventually national level. The Kitchen Garden programme is in line with FQM’s conservation farming project, which has trained over 30,000 smallholder farmers in environmentally friendly farming techniques. The project’s best farmers on average get over 350 percent higher crop yields compared to before they joined the programme. Trident Foundation’s Kitchen Garden programme seeks to reach 200 farmers by end of 2019.

SPORT

ENVIRONMENT

FQM REINFORCES LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP WITH GOVT ON CONSERVATION

he Ministry of Tourism and Arts, through the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW), has reinforced its partnership with the Trident Foundation in the conservation and restoration of one of the nation’s most important ecosystems. Under the public-private-community partnership, the Foundation, has committed to support the government’s restoration and management of the West Lunga Management Area for the next five years at a cost of K91.7 million. Conservation of the area will help develop tourism and provide alternative livelihoods for local communities. The partnership is the culmination of four years’ of support by FQM’s Trident Foundation and was demonstrated as the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) received the keys to new offices and 10 ranger houses that were constructed by the Foundation to provide the department with a permanent base in Kalende, Mufumbwe, from which to oversee conservation in the area. The area, encompassing the West Lunga National Park, Chibwika-Ntambu and Lukwakwa Game Management Areas, has important ecological significance through its contribution to the head waters of the Zambezi and Kafue River systems, the presence of large tracts of Mavunda forest, and as a habitat for wildlife. DNPW Director General Paul Zyambo and a senior entourage from DNPW Chilanga, along with Mufumbwe District Commissioner Masela Sekeseke and Chief Chizela, attended the ceremony to take possession of the buildings. The leaders praised FQM’s Trident Foundation for the donation and for its on-going support in the West Lunga Management Area, urging the company to continue with the partnership as part of its broader community development work undertaken in health, education and

livelihood support. Trident Foundation has already invested over US$3 million in wildlife and conservation activities around the Sentinel Mine and the West Lunga Management Area. The project is primarily focused on supporting conservation activities on the ground including recruiting, training, equipping and paying rangers to patrol the protected area, infrastructure development and implementing conservation related livelihood programmes within the communities. The company is also conducting capacity-building for communities in and around the West Lunga Management Area to venture into conservation activities that are key to the survival of national wildlife and parks, which can be a source of revenue generated from local and international tourism. Currently the communities derive little benefit from the natural resources and the project aims to change that by providing the systems and infrastructure to support tourism, livelihood improvement, environmental education and sustainable agricultural practices. “This investment includes restoring the population of mammal species that have become locally extinct or endangered, and reinstating the historical status of West Lunga as a breeding sanctuary for elephants, whilst preserving the integrity of the Mavunda forests,” said FQM country manager General Kingsley Chinkuli. The WLMA once supported large numbers of wildlife species including elephant, buffalo, sable, roan, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, lion, leopard and wild dog. It was also once the stronghold of yellow-backed and blue duiker in Zambia.

QUITTING IS NEVER AN OPTION – TOP CYCLIST

M Local farmers feeds his chickens

Improving the productivity of the local livestock population

artha Sandondi is a 21-yearold professional cyclist under the Kansanshi Cycling team. With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics looming, the talented rider - with several victories in local and international tournaments to her name - is one of Zambia’s best hopes for qualification to the prestigious event. Professional cycling was introduced to Kansanshi in 2004 with backing from First Quantum Minerals (FQM) as a way of empowering local youth and providing them with a means to avoid illicit activities and escape poverty. Martha describes cycling as a unique career opportunity for girls like her, adding that it is also a viable source income. She said: “Cycling is not only good for one’s health, but it can also be a good source of income. I use the money I earn from the tournaments to help my mother with some of the household expenses.” Recently, Martha and her coach Eugine Kasempa had the opportunity to travel to Rwanda and train with veteran riders at the Africa Rising Cycling Centre. The FQM-sponsored trip was designed to give local cyclists a chance to work with some of the continent’s most experienced coaches and test their skills on Rwanda’s notoriously challenging terrain. “The training camp in Rwanda was an eye-opener. I got to experience cycling at a much higher level than I had been used to,” said Martha. “Perhaps one of the most challenging parts of the camp, aside from the gruelling training schedule, was

adjusting to Rwanda’s landscape. The country is very mountainous, meaning most of the cycling trails have a lot of steep and winding climbs unlike here in Zambia where the routes are relatively flat. Despite being relatively new to professional cycling, Martha has earned a solid reputation for her determination not to quit, even when the odds are stacked against her. In 2016, her never-give-up attitude was put to the test after a nasty fall left her with a badly injured leg and knee a few kilometres from the finish line. Martha had edged ahead of the chasing pack in the fiercely contested School Series Tournament when one of the brakes on her bike failed causing her to crash. “When I had my fall, my first instinct was to pull out of the race and wait for the medical team to pick me up because the pain was so intense. However, I knew I had a chance to finish in the top three because up until my accident, I had had a great race,” she recalls. Despite the career-threatening injury, the strong-willed rider, bloodied, exhausted and with only one brake on her bike, picked herself up and pushed through the excruciating pain to regain her lead and pick up an unlikely win ahead of more experienced and decorated cyclists. Almost two years down the line, Martha still experiences some discomfort in her left knee but her resolve is stronger than ever. “That victory remains the best moment of my career. Every time I look at that trophy I am reminded that there is nothing I can’t do if I put my mind to it. And right now, my mind is firmly focused on earning

qualification for my team and country to the 2020 Olympics. “My dream is to become Zambia’s first ever female Olympic champion. I want to play my part in establishing Zambia as one of the best cycling nations in the world and the Tokyo Games would be a huge step forward. The training camp in Rwanda has helped me improve my racing from a tactical perspective as well as enhanced my endurance. I hope to impart the techniques I learned from Africa Rising Cycling Centre to my fellow riders at Kansanshi Cycling Academy as we intensify our preparations for the Olympics. “I believe my team has what it takes to qualify, we just need to keep training hard, believe in ourselves and maintain the never say die spirit that has helped us become the best Cycling team in Zambia. “Racing is as much about talent and the bike as it is about having the right attitude. Anyone can be a champion, you just have to believe in yourself, stay focused on your goal and most importantly be willing to put in the extra work to achieve it,” said Martha, who is one of four female professional cyclists at Kansanshi Cycling Academy.

SPORT

FQM SPORT SCORES BIG FOR YOUTH IN KALUMBILA

port holds the key to improving the lives of young people through teamwork, discipline and distraction from vices, according to Trident Football Club head coach Pascal Musonda. The First Quantum Minerals-sponsored side sees sport as far more than simply competition, and if it is well coordinated, sport has the ability to develop a range of skills, as well as keeping youth away from vices such alcohol and drug abuse. “In order to keep the youth from engaging in bad vices such smoking, drinking and womanising, we need to encourage them to take up sport. And not just football, but other sports that play a vital role keeping people fit and healthy,” said Mr Musonda. “Football should also be seen as a form of employment for local youth as it can help them to earn a living and provide for their families,” he added. “Football is also a business, and some of these guys (footballers) will also

FQM JOINS CYCLISTS FOR CHARITY BIKE RIDE

QM has agreed to be the main sponsor of the 2019 Elephant Epic mountain bike race, which seeks to raise funds for wildlife conservation in Zambia. The Elephant Epic event, organised by Game Rangers International (GRI) has grown significantly from 16 riders in 2012 to 137 riders in 2018, when participants took to the tracks and raised US$17,500 for

have an opportunity to play for the national team as well as professional football outside Zambia.” Trident FC is currently sitting in the middle of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Division One, but it has its sights set on the goal of the FAZ Premier League. The team, which started as a social team within the community, was registered in 2015 as a Football Association of Zambia-affiliated club and is currently playing its second season in the FAZ Division One league Team captain Chinjoka Nyirenda is optimistic that the club will in the next few years start playing in the FAZ Premier League. “Five years from now, I see the team playing in the FAZ Premier League. It is going to be a force to reckon with. It is just a matter of being courageous and hardworking,” said Mr Nyirenda. He called on his fellow youths to look at sport as a career that has the potential to improve their lives.

wildlife conservation. Around 200 riders are expected in this year’s race on June 22, and proceeds will go towards supporting the raising of orphaned elephants in the care of GRI’s Elephant Orphanage Project. The mountain bike race will follow a rugged route from Lusaka to the Lower Zambezi, down the escarpment, covering a distance of approximately 75km.

The race aims to create awareness for the realities faced by wildlife and wild spaces and highlight the plight of the African Elephant. GRI’s approach is rooted in the belief that the key to sustainable, long-term use of Zambia’s natural wealth is best achieved by the full participation of all stakeholders in managing the country’s ecosystems.