By MARTIN MUSUNKA –
FIRST Quantum Minerals (FQM) has embarked on a deliberate social investment programme for girl children in North-Western Province aimed at motivating them to focus on formal education and stay away from harmful health activities to prevent HIV infections.
Speaking during the annual Girls Leading Our World (Glow) camp in Solwezi, FQM health projects and programmes advisor, Gertrude Musunka said the mining company was determined to see an improved school completion rate for girls in the province.
She said FQM would endeavour to contribute, in their own way, to activities that would help girls in North-Western Province attain minimum qualifications that would enable them participate more effectively in the skilled job market.
Ms Musunka said the skilled job market was already available in North-Western Province through FQM’s Kansanshi Mine and Kalumbila Minerals, among other organisations, where the girls were assured of employment.
Ms Musunka explained after a week-long Glow camp for 100 girls drawn from across the province that FQM was in the process of undertaking a baseline survey on the girl empowerment programme to enable the mining company track the progress of the girls over time and be able to measure change in the long run.
During the Glow camp, Ms Musunka said, the participating girls were introduced to the different possibilities that were available to them once they attained good education.
She said the Glow camp was structured in a positive manner in the promotion of delayed sexual debut, avoidance of early marriages, early pregnancy which would ultimately prevent HIV infections, poor maternal and child health and gender-based violence.
Noting that there can never be meaningful development if the girls were left behind, Ms Musunka said evidence had shown that empowered women invest significantly into families as compared to men.
“Therefore, when girls are empowered, they can lift, not only themselves, but their communities out of poverty. First Quantum Minerals as a corporate citizen is interested in these qualities of an empowered woman because we would like to see tangible development within our areas of operation.
“We are committed to seeing girls in this area become better and healthier citizens that can contribute effectively to themselves,
their families and local communities. We are further encouraged by the prevailing impeccable political and traditional leadership on issues of a girl child,” she said.-Courtesy of SUMA SYSTEMS.