By JOHN MUBAMBE –
KANSANSHI mine has established community banks in Solwezi to cater for rural households within its vicinity.
The community banking model spearheaded by Kansanshi Mine’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) department is aimed at encouraging women in rural areas to save money realised from group business ventures.
Speaking at a two-day community banking programme’s evaluation meeting at Kansanshi Foundation Training Institute in Solwezi, Kansanshi public relations manager Godfrey Msiska said his company was keen to empower women and the marginalised.
The meeting was called to review community banks’ performance for the past 12 months.
Mr Msiska said that 35 groups consisting of 500 women had accumulated savings amounting to K400,000 last year.
Of these groups, 30 were directly receiving support from Kansanshi Mine and five were independent groups trained by other partners.
He said women in community banking had benefited immensely by using available resources to run small and medium businesses as opposed to the familiar scenario of waiting for hand-outs.
Mr Msiska thanked all the participating community banks for a job well done in empowering themselves with financial literacy skills, leadership and promoting social cohesion within their respective communities.
Kansanshi mine monitoring and evaluation officer Gehane Ntaimo encouraged members of the  community banks to invest and provide a pool of funds from which low-cost, flexible loans could be realised from among themselves.
He was happy that community banking in Solwezi has progressed with a hope that it would encourage saving, keep money circulating in the local area, provide advice and support to members, and empower them with shares. – Courtesy of SUMA SYSTEMS.