The Munsangu School was constructed as part of the mine’s Resettlement Action Plan, and provides education services to over 500 pupils within the local community. To coincide with the recent sponsorship of a new library building at the school, Mabiza invited two volunteer English students to lead a literacy drive. The volunteers have already donated over 200 books to the school and, after working with the children, will identify the ideal resources to further improve literacy. The students have raised over £3,500 (ZMW 100,000) to date for the school, mostly from their community in the UK but also supported by donations from the mine management team.
The reading initiative ran from the 6th to 16th July 2021 and was intended to help pupils improve their reading skills and foster international relations. The student volunteers worked with school pupils from 11 to 18 years of age. A small group of 10 to 15 students per day were mobilized from within the local community under strict compliance to Covid-19 regulations. Activities included supervised group readings, alphabetized arrangement and categorization of books, creative writing workshops and several other activities to inspire the pupils’ interest in reading.
A Handover ceremony was held at Munsangu School at which the cheque and books were officially presented. The ceremony was attended by the District Commissioner, The District Education Board Secretary, and the District Education Secretary Officer along with many representatives from the mine team and the school itself.
Health and safety, social development and environmental conservation are equally as important as successful operational performance to Mabiza’s Management Team. Current focus is on the Miombo Woodland preservation project. Management and staff are planting indigenous trees to extend and rejuvenate the forested area which has suffered deforestation in the past, as well as introducing new initiatives to demonstrate the commercial value of the reserve to the community.
Miombo can support honey farming and mushroom growing, potentially creating new jobs within the community.Training and awareness around the conservation of the forest is also being driven, including how charcoal production can be maintained in a sustainable way.
Long term, the goal is to extend the rejuvenation project beyond the immediate environs of the mine and local community by donating indigenous trees to neighbouring areas.
Tree holes were dug about 1 meter deep and reburied with a mix of sand, compost, dried cow dung and black soil. The seedlings were planted and a carton cocoon with 2.5 litres of water was placed underground, around the plant. The cocoons were covered with a little sand and dried grass to reduce the rate of evaporation around the seedlings.
The cocoon is cost effective as it eliminates the need for irrigation systems, controls the growth of weeds around the plant and enables the plant to have a deep, wide root system.
The cocoon is biodegradable, adding to the nutritional value of the soil.
