Equality in education

We are committed to helping ensure that women of all ages have access to education, whether in school or later in life. This ranges from our literacy program in Mauritania to our tutoring camp for girls at Trident College in Solwezi. We have helped many women and girls get the education they deserve.

Supporting girls in school

Our Jimuka! program provides support in the form of feminine hygiene product packages, along with motivational talks by female mentors and education and information on women’s health, sexual health and the risks of early marriage and pregnancy. Our girls’ mentoring camp at Trident College in Solwezi has helped hundreds of girls in Zambia’s North Western Province.

Girls between the ages of 12 and 18 receive business training, mentoring and sexual and reproductive health education. Menstruation is a major risk factor for school attendance for girls in Zambia, many of whom stay at home during their period, which can have a devastating effect during a young woman’s formative years.

Jimuka is a word from the local Zambian Kaonde dialect that basically means “to be warned” or “to be informed”.

Through the program, school-age girls receive information and education in their local language on how to handle puberty and have the opportunity to ask questions.

The five-person team moderating the program says teenage girls often don’t fully understand the menstrual cycle, which means they never know when to expect their period. This leads to countless “accidents” at school, and the accompanying embarrassment causes students to stay home when they suspect their time of the month is approaching. The program teaches students exactly how to count the days of their cycle so they know when to go to school prepared.

A popular part of the Jimuka! initiative is the free “Stay in School” kits.

Access to health products is a challenge for many girls in rural communities and home-made solutions tend to be unreliable. Girls who attend a Jimuka session receive a menstrual hygiene kit containing two well-made reusable pads with fasteners to keep them in place. The kits also include extra underwear, washing powder, washcloths and soap. The sanitary napkins are made from chitenge, a colorful and familiar fabric, which many girls use to improvise inexpensive sanitary solutions. Kansanshi hires a local dressmaker to make the towels; however, as demand increases, she plans to offer sewing classes where girls can follow a pattern to make their own sanitary towels.

For women only

In 2017 and 2018, women were exclusively invited to enroll in business internships at our Kwambula center at the Solwezi Business Training Institute. Our two women-only groups are unique in Zambia and rare in the world. These groups are responsible for training other women to perform in skilled jobs. We recognize that our greatest benefit to the community, what people value most about us, is the employment opportunities. And we don’t understand why women should be left out of this opportunity.

Mining is Zambia’s second largest formal employer after government, but job opportunities are disproportionately channeled to men: only 10% of the mining workforce are women. As a result, Zambian men earn 47% more than women. Bringing together these all-female groups was a bold and somewhat controversial step, but we supported these young women to become leaders in the engineering sector and, at the same time, helped to reduce the huge numerical disparity.

The 42 women inducted in 2017 and 2018 are currently in a three-year program to earn one of Kwambula’s four engineering-focused craft trades certificate programs: fitting and turning, electrical, metal fabrication, and heavy equipment repair. The training is excellent and these degrees are in high demand. Eighty percent of Kwambula graduates find jobs at First Quantum, while the rest are in high demand in other industries. Candidates had to meet very demanding admission requirements, including an advanced entrance exam and passing 12th grade math and science.

First Quantum’s greatest strength and most important resource is our people. If we are to have the best talent, we must ensure that we have a network of well-trained young workers. We launched Kwambula in 2012 in collaboration with the Zambian Ministry of Education to train female high school graduates for skilled jobs.

Kwambula’s women-only groups are part of our broader commitment to improving opportunities for women in Zambia.

Increasing female literacy

An adult literacy program is helping Mauritanian women in the Akjoujt community build a brighter future. First Quantum has been operating in Akjoujt since 2004. The program aims to provide training and open a pathway to sustainable livelihoods for some of Mauritania’s most vulnerable people: women who may find it difficult to make a living once the town’s main source of employment disappears and many mine workers, mainly men, look elsewhere for work. This is important because the mine has entered the second half of its useful life, with a final closure and a planned downsizing in the next decade.

More than 200 women have completed the program and 85% reported significant improvement in their literacy and numeracy skills. With new confidence and a network of supportive peers, these women are building a better future for themselves, their families and their communities.