Mine’s women-run jewellery workshop!

 

Nsanshi art crafts support for Solwezi women and girls 

Kansanshi Mine’s women-run jewellery workshop, Nsanshi Art, has forged on with its mission to support and provide financial support to vulnerable women and girls in Solwezi District. Since it was set up earlier this year, the value-addition initiative has raised more than K32,000 through the sale and custom designing of jewellery pieces. The funds go towards financing programmes run by the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). 

In just a few months of operation, Nsanshi Art has moved from being a small workshop to an operational workspace with state-of-the-art machinery including a newly acquired laser cutter used in engraving. Another recent development is the upgrade of the manual metal roller mill to a motorised one which will make it easier for the women working in the workshop to operate. 

Kansanshi Foundation Manager Bruce Lewis said the recent developments at the workshop are a clear sign that the initiative is making progress towards realising its goals and mission. 

Mr Lewis added that the initiative has garnered support and attention from the local community and other organisations, prompting a partnership with Zambeef’s Zamleather division to supply the workshop with hides of leather to add more diversity to the jewellery designs. 

He also noted that through the partnership between Nsanshi Art and the YWCA, profits earned from Nsanshi Art have enabled the charity. 

That to provide shelter, food, clothes and a sense of security to victims of gender-based violence and other social ills. Mr Lewis explained that Nsanshi Art was founded on the principle of value addition to the copper from First Quantum Minerals’ Kansanshi Mine, and to create jobs, skills development, and empowerment. 

“Mine communities deal with socio-economic challenges daily. These include indebtedness, health issues and HIV/AIDS, lack of amenities, housing and infrastructure, and lack of sustainable business opportunities.” “True to our core values on community development, First Quantum has set up various programmes aimed at enriching and empowering communities surrounding our mining operations. Nsanshi Art is an essential part of our community development agenda in Solwezi,” said Mr Lewis. 

“In the face of national and domestic economic challenges, the need for us to make a positive, sustainable contribution to our communities is perhaps greater than ever. We have not compromised our efforts towards meeting our communities’ transformation goals, and the many benefits are evident in the communities around which we mine,” said Mr Lewis. 

He further said the mining firm has prioritised the empowerment of local people, especially women and girls, in its community activities as a way of curbing poverty, unemployment and gender inequality. The initiative by Kansanshi Foundation is one of several community support projects that FQM has embarked on geared towards female empowerment.