By MARTIN  MUSUNKA –
BARRICK Lumwana Mining Company LMC) has handed over community projects worth K1,156,197 to schools in Solwezi in the ongoing infrastructure development programme aimed at uplifting the education standards in North-Western Province.
The mining company which partnered with the local community engaged contractors to build two classroom blocks and four teachers’ houses which were handed over to the beneficiary institutions on Wednesday and Thursday this week as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations.
The projects presented were a 1×3 classroom block at Kyansununu Primary School which was built at a cost of K241,345 and a similar block at Mutanda Primary School worth K263,207 while two teachers houses were erected at Mukonzhi and Manyama primary schools at K348,333 and K303,311 respectively.
Out of all the projects, the local communities across the three chiefdoms of Senior Chief Mukumbi, Chiefs Mumena and Matebo, contributed 25 percent while the rest came from Barrick Lumwana Mining Company.
Barrick Gold Corporation Global Copper Business Unit director of operations for Africa and Middle East, Brian Grebenc said, as Zambia celebrated its 50 years of independence, Barrick wanted to reaffirm its commitment to sharing benefits of the investment with host communities.
In a speech read for him by Barrick Lumwana Mining Company sustainability manager, Brenda Tambatamba-Liswaniso, Mr Brebenc said Barrick Lumwana was proud to be part of Zambia’s 50th independence celebrations by contributing infrastructure that would steer educational attainments in the area.
He said the mining company was also poised, together with the Government of Zambia and other partners, to capitalise on opportunities to enhance socio-economic development in the Lumwana area of Solwezi.
Mr Brebenc said, the fact that the local people rose to the occasion to contribute 25 percent of the total project cost, Barrick believed that the partnership with the community in infrastructure projects would inculcate the spirit of ownership into the beneficiaries.
He said the development of the Lumwana Development Trust Fund (LDTF) was part of the obligations agreed in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in August 2005 by their royal highnesses Senior Chief Mukumbi, Chief Mumena and Chief Matebo royal establishments and Lumwana Mining Company.
Mr Brebenc explained that the key objective of the LDTF was to improve the standard of living of the local community and promote the positive impact that the mine development had on their daily lives.
The key areas where the LDTF disbursements are allocated are health and education projects, formal basic education, clean water supply and other projects directly impacting on the standard of living of the community as recommended by the Land Use Planning Development committee.
During the hand-over ceremonies, Solwezi district commissioner Crispin Likando said Government was committed to ensuring that children learning under trees had no place in the modern era and said Barrick Lumwana has been a catalyst to the reconstruction of Lumwana and other rural settings in its catchments area.
In a speech read for him by Solwezi district education officer, Welling Mwangu, Mr Likando said the successful implementation of the infrastructure development programme would improve the learning environment and performance in schools.- Story courtesy of SUMA SYSTEMS