Kalumbila Minerals Limited (KML) has through its Trident Foundation Limited (TFL) continued to equip people in the mine’s catchment area with business skills to promote sustainable community development outside mining activities.
The training includes market research, record keeping, marketing, costing, and financial planning; all meant to show how simple business ideas can be actualised.
Trident Foundation Manager, Joseph Ngwira, said that the ‘Start Your Business’ (SYB) training would be followed up with mentorship and coaching sessions to help trainees implement action plans from their training.
He noted that this would help ascertain the type of support to render the trainees for their businesses to succeed.
“Through our local business development support section, we may provide equipment finance or operating cash as a form of microfinance support based on due diligence results while more training based on how complex or how big the business is can also be facilitated,” he explained.
He said the foundation has also recognise the need to align support with interest and potential hence identification of viable opportunities is driven by what participants believe they can do better if supported.
Mr. Ngwira added that the foundation would work hand in hand with local SMEs to ensure their businesses become self-reliant and sustainable beyond the mine life.
“Our support is meant to boost economic activities in this area and help the locals improve their livelihoods by generating an income to support their families and community. Our strategy is to promote a realisation that the potential to improve their livelihood is within individuals. The wealth is adequate, but the missing link is the ability to transform the wealth into liquidity so that together we can meet our basic needs,” he said.
Mr. Ngwira indicated that once their businesses take off, the trainees are taken through more coaching to enhance their operational systems and forecast their performance for short and long-term planning.
The trainees included women representing village banking groups; youth groups composed of welding and block-making graduates; hair salon owners, and aspiring agribusiness entrepreneurs.
Representing the trainees, Ms. Muse Musemangeji thanked Kalumbila Minerals Ltd (KML) for empowering community members with business skills.
She urged her colleagues to practice what they had learnt if they were to benefit from the business loan facility from TFL.
