By MARTIN MUSUNKA-

Barrick Lumwana Mining Company (LMC) has engaged Southern African Incubation Support (SAIS) experts to explore prospects for incubating business enterprises in the local Solwezi community.
Barrick Lumwana General Manager Bill MacNevin told participants at an International Youth Day gathering at Kyabankaka Primary School: “This is a rare opportunity which Barrick is brokering for you to access knowledge which you would otherwise have to pay for, if you were to go to a training institute. I urge you to treat this opportunity with a sense of utmost urgency.”
Addressing youths drawn from the three chiefdoms of Mukumbi, Matebo and Mumena, Mr MacNevin said in line with the 2014 theme ‘Zambia at 50, Promoting Youth Mainstreaming for Sustainable Development’, the mining company has decided to continue with the idea of promoting youth entrepreneurship which kicked off in 2008.
In a speech read for him by Barrick Lumwana Environmental Manager Grace Mutale-Walker, MacNevin said the company was convinced that building the business acumen of the youths would lead to the generation and operation of sustainable enterprises thus creating jobs for many.
He said a critical mass in the sector will lead to prosperity in the local communities, ultimately leading to a sustainable national economy.
Last year, the mining company invited Motivation Centre for Africa’s Transformation (MoCAT) Managing Consultant Gilbert Banda to give motivational presentations tailored towards building entrepreneurship skills among the youth.
Based on the theme ‘Opportunity through Enterprise,’ Mr Banda’s motivational presentations tackled key topics such as mindset paradigm for entrepreneurship, understanding self-concept and unlocking one’s full potential.
With the knowledge acquired at the 2013 Youth Day celebrations at Lumwana East Basic School, which encompassed an ‘enterprise education building capacity’ workshop with 150 youngsters from all the three chiefdoms, the youths this year returned with positive feedback.
IDEAS
Noting that most young people have many ideas ripe to be harnessed and developed into viable businesses in the future, Mr MacNevin announced that “in order to assist you in developing those ideas, Barrick Lumwana has facilitated access to a team of consultants to support your efforts.”
Mr MacNevin said no single company could absorb all the young people joining the labour market every year.
That was the case even though the youths were the engine of any business undertaking or national economy.
“I know that it is a dream many of you cherish the thought of one day being employed at Lumwana, Kansanshi, Kalumbila or indeed any other mine. This however, may not be possible in the short and medium term as there are only a limited number of jobs offered in these enterprises at any one time,” Mr MacNevin said.
He said Barrick Lumwana wanted vibrant youth-operated businesses to emerge in the local area as was happening around the globe, within Africa and in Zambia.
MacNevin was hopeful that the local youth could realize such possibilities, especially with the recent launch of the Integrated Development Plan for the area. “Many opportunities are out there which you should explore and take advantage of.”
And Mrs Mutale-Walker personally urged the youths: “The only obstacle to achieve is yourself. I keep conveying this message, that the only person you should be determined to compete against is yourself. And make sure that you get determined to do better than you did previously.”
PRESENTATIONS
Representatives from the three chiefdoms made presentations of their business activities, which have emerged from the 2013 entrepreneurial workshop facilitated by Motivation Centre for Africa’s Transformation (MoCAT).
From Senior Chief Mukumbi’s chiefdom, Lapson Mukwatu said his group was now into gardening, fish farming and photography and described the businesses as “booming.”
He said from the knowledge acquired last year, he and other youngsters decided to implement what was taught and he was happy that they are now self-sustaining.
Stafford Nyambe from Chief Mumena chiefdom said he was happy that Barrick Lumwana enabled them to register their company because officials from the Patents and Companies Registration Authority (Pacra) exposed participants to the processes of incorporating a company.
Mr Nyambe said because he and his colleagues were able to learn entrepreneurship skills, they formed a company called Luwi Chemicals, and have been manufacturing disinfectants and other related products.
From Chief Matebo’s chiefdom, Louis Kalituta said Matebo ‘A’ was performing well in vegetable growing although he said the members depended on hoes. He said despite those challenges, they were able to grow vegetables for sale.
Mr Kalituta said members of the Matebo ‘B’ team had formed a company called Greenlight Computers and Stationers which dealt in computers and stationery. It is located behind Manyama market
He said the company was also engaged in HIV/AIDS sensitization and was also sponsoring a football team.
And Humphrey Muzabwanga, who is now a nurse, had raised financial resources to sponsor himself for a nursing course at Ndola School of Nursing out of his pumpkin production.
Mildred Jilowa said she was into farming and had successfully harvested good yields of maize which she sold to the Food Reserve Agency. Presently she had embarked on a diversification programme which included metalwork—she had secured herself a welding machine.
PROGRAMMES
Barrick Lumwana has been organising various off-site entrepreneurship programmes in all the three chiefdoms.
This year’s Youth Day entrepreneurial session was the third for off-site communities. There have been on-site sessions for motivation of employees and improvement of financial literacy to better manage their finances.
Barrick Lumwana Sustainability Manager Brenda Tamtabamba-Liswaniso said the mining company was engaging the community because it has the responsibility to do so. She said the mining company was paying attention to mitigating any possible negative socio-environmental impact of mining activities.
She appealed to the youths to pay attention to unlocking their great potential, and assured them that Barrick Lumwana would always share the benefits of mining operations with the local communities.
The MoCAT consultant Banda urged the youth to chart their own destiny by pursuing opportunities that would make them self-sustaining unlike depending on the mining company.
He gave a classic example of the natural behaviour of a chicken which always looked on the ground for something to eat while an eagle flew in the sky to look for opportunities with a bird’s eye. – Feature courtesy of SUMA SYSTEMS.