COPPERBELT
permanent secretary Stanford Msichili (centre) cuts a ribbon as Kagem
Mining Limited head of corporate affairs Jonas Mwansa (left), Emeralds
Mining Association of Zambia president Dale Litana and Kagem director of
operations in Zambia CV Suresh (at far end) look on.- Picture by MOFFAT
CHAZINGWA.
GOVERNMENT has commended Kagem Mining Limited for its positive contribution to the economic development of the country.
Copperbelt permanent secretary Stanford Msichili is happy that Kagem invested over K1 billion in the construction of a 1 x 2 classroom block at Chapula Basic School in Lufwanyama.
Speaking during the handing over of the structure including two teachers’ houses in Lufwanyma on Saturday, Mr Msichili expressed happiness with Kagem’s corporate social responsibility.
Mr Msichili urged investors in the country to work towards empowering communities in which they conduct their businesses.
He said Kagem has continued to play a key role in the development of the education sector in the country.
“We are happy with the support we are receiving from Kagem. Education is one of the important sectors which play an important role in the development of the country. We are happy that Kagem has committed itself to ensuring that children in Lufwanyama have access to education,” he said.
Mr Msichili said the construction of the 1 x 2 classroom block and two teachers’ houses at Kapila Basic School by Kagem will go a long way in enhancing education standards in Lufwanyama.
He also advised employers in Lufwanyama against sourcing for labour outside the district.
“I have observed that some employers have a tendency of sourcing for labour outside Lufwanyama even for the work which can be done by the local people,” he said.
And Kagem corporate affairs manager Jonas Mwansa said the company decided to construct an extra classroom block after seeing that Kapila Basic School had little classroom space. The school only had a 1 x 3 classroom block to cater for all the pupils from grade one to nine.
Mr Mwansa said the construction of an additional classroom block is aimed at increasing access to education by children in Lufwanyama.
“Our belief is in line with government’s vision of increasing access to education by putting up adequate school infrastructure aimed at achieving universal education as per Millennium Development Goal number two, which seeks to ensure that by 2015, children complete primary education.
“We at Kagem are fully aware that the biggest challenge to achieving universal basic education is the fact that so many children living in rural areas such as Lufwanyama are still not able to go to school for, among other reasons, failure to access education because of limited classroom space,” he said.
Mr Mwansa said Kagem is involved in many other corporate social responsibility programmes aimed at ploughing back into the community.
He said Kagem will continue working with various stakeholders in implementing developmental projects which add value to the well-being of communities.
“We believe that it is through such efforts that we in the private sector can supplement government’s efforts in improving people’s living standards and it is in this vein that I want to call upon the corporate world to partner with government in taking development to citizens of Zambia,” Mr Mwansa said.
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