By MARTIN MUSUNKA –
FIRST Quantum Minerals (FQM) Kansanshi Mining Plc spent a whopping K3,483,844 on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities in Solwezi and other parts of Zambia for the month of January this year.
CSR manager Bruce Lewis who announced the mining company’s social expenditure for the month of January, said a huge amount went to activities related to education which has been receiving priority attention in line with FQM chairperson and chief executive officer Philip Pascall’s strategic directive.
Mr Lewis said a total of K1,870,517 was spent on training and development which involved external training, local business development and contributions to Solwezi Technical College which was the highest and was followed by Kansanshi Foundation Institute whose outlay was K657,305.
The activities that formed the expenditure component at Kansanshi Foundation Institute were conservation farming for both Kansanshi Mining Plc and FQM Trident project in Kalumbila, injection of funds into the Adult Education Centre and Kipemba Farming Project.
For the month of January, Mr Lewis said the health department spent K383,896 on HIV programme, malaria control and public health activities.
The core CSR department disbursed K436,738 which was shared across agriculture, resettlement farming, road safety campaigns, Solwezi adult literacy project, sprucing up of traditional establishments, Zambia Wildlife Authority (Zawa) project in Lunga Luswishi and Lunga Basanga game reserve areas and local business development programmes.
Mr Lewis said the public relations department spent K135,385 and part of this money also went towards traditional establishments, sporting activities and other related activities under the PR wing.
In highlighting the activities for the month of January, Mr Lewis said the mining company engaged Senior Chief Chizera, Senior Chief Sikufele and Chief Musaka for them to start preparing for conservation farming training and implementation in their respective chiefdoms.  — Story courtesy of SUMA SYSTEMS.