Zambia Mining and Environmental Remediation and Improvement Project

Our Wednesday Woman Crush is Ms. Mubanga Chewe ZMERIP Administrative Assistant who recently graduated with a Bachelors degree in Political Science from the University of Zambia during the 51st Graduation Ceremony held at the Heroes Stadium in Lusaka recently. We are so proud of you, and honored to celebrate graduation with you. Congratulations!

Symptoms of Lead Poisoning There is no safe level of lead in a body, yet the FDA allows it in dinnerware, food, cosmetics and many consumer goods. Although we are more adept at recognizing the problem in children, adults...

Public Disclosure of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the rehabilitation, concrete lining of the Kabwe Main Canal and landscaping of the Canal Corridor by the Zambia Mining and Environmental Remediation and Improvement Project (ZMERIP) in conjunction with the Kabwe Municipal Council.

Chalo Multi-Purpose Cooperative Peanut Butter Production in motion

Many people in mining townships like Mufulira's Kankoyo are unable to undertake livelihood activities such as backyard gardening because the soil is acidic and crops grown in such an environment are likely to absorb heavy metals due to high levels of historical pollution.

A majority of people the population worked in the mines, others married mine employees or their parents worked in the mines. For obvious reasons, the mining sector can no longer absorb everyone in terms of jobs opportunities. As a result, many people are involved in illegal mining activities while others spend time doing nothing.

To help diversify the economy and reduce the over-dependence on direct jobs from the mines and promote safe alternative sustainable livelihoods, ZMERIP a Government-funded project, launched livelihood activities targeting vulnerable individuals in the most polluted townships of Mufulira, Chingola, Kitwe, and Kabwe.

ZMERIP Environmental and Social Safeguard Specialist James Chisenga said the grant aims to reduce environmental health risks associated with mining pollution among vulnerable people such as the youth and women.

Mr. Chisenga explained that the whole concept of livelihood is to wean off people from environmentally hazardous occupations such as mineral waste scavenging from the mine dumps.

Chalo Multipurpose Cooperative from Mufulira is one of the beneficiaries of the grant. The cooperative is coming from Kankoyo one of the townships popularly known for the historical negative impact of the sulfur dioxide from the mines that destroyed the environment. In 2021, the Cooperative applied for a grant of Two hundred and eleven thousand kwacha (K211, 000) to start their business in Peanut butter production.

Today, the eleven-member cooperative produces at least 100 bottles of 1kg peanut butter per day sold to customers within Mufulira and in the neighbouring country, Congo at the Kasumabalesa Border in Chililabombwe and the Mukambo border in Mufulira.

Peanuts are not only a sustainable crop but are also a positive addition to healthy and sustainable diets in most households.

ZMERIP trained members of the cooperative in business and marketing skills, peanut butter production and packaging, proper sanitation and hygiene protocols, and grievance management.

Chalo Multipurpose Cooperative Treasurer Anne Chikumbi explained a majority of residents in Kankoyo township were unemployed and had nothing productive to do.

She said such programmes if expanded could have a positive impact, not only on direct beneficiaries but a majority of vulnerable community members.

Ms Chikumbi said, “The cooperative will improve the welfare of the members and their families. When we start making profits this will be a big contribution to the family because it will increase our incomes in the future with a possibility of investing in other streams of income.”

She said it was rewarding to see the women and communities empowered to transform from mere beneficiaries to becoming business owners.

Ms. Chikumbi said Chalo’s vision is to start growing groundnuts to sustain their business and reduce the costs of raw materials.

And Director Housing and Social Services Winston Kasonkomona commended the Government of Zambia and the World Bank for the initiative.

Mr. Kasonkomona said the Mufulira Municipal Council has been instrumental in guiding the cooperative and was providing technical support to the cooperative.

The Mufulira Municipal Council has provided free space to the cooperative to allow them to get established after which they will start paying minimal rent.

Mr. Kasonkomona urged Mufulira residents from the affected townships who applied for the grant to be patient and allow the due process of selection to be completed.

Lead Remediation Efforts at Mines Primary School...a promise for safe environment school children

Lead is harmful if ingested and can affect nearly every organ system in the body and severely disrupt physical and mental development in children. ZMERIP school remediation programme has drastically reduced lead exposure at Mine Primary School in Kabwe promising a safe environment for school children. ZMERIP conducted soil swapping, immobilization of lead using phosphate fertilizer, planting of grass, sinking of a borehole and soil capping with pavers to make the school environmentally friendly.

ZMERIP staff led by National Project Coordinator Gideon Ndalama paid a courtesy call on Central Province Minister Honorable Credo Nanjuwa and the heads of provincial administration at his office in Kabwe.

The purpose of the courtesy call was to brief the provincial administration on the status of the ZMERIP interventions in the Kabwe district.

Chiefly on the discussion were the issues on Lead pollution which has affected selected parts for a long time, the negative impact of social-economic factors contributing to lead exposure.

The Minister said the Zambia Environmental Management Agency and the Mines Safety Department should enhance environmental monitoring and compliance enforcement in the district to control the illegal exploitation and movement of lead and zinc bearing ores.

Other aspects discussed were the planned environmental remediation to be undertaken and need for continued community sensitization on the effects of Lead pollution on human health.

Investing in inclusive and sustainable transformation for the invulnerable is strategically important for Zambia's 2030 Agenda of becoming a middle-income country. Many of the families depend on insecure and unsafe livelihoods to sustain their families.

Their income is often irregular putting heads of households and their families at risk of hunger and health problems. Self-employment is the only viable alternative to vulnerable communities. Yet many lack the necessary cash or skills to start a business that could earn more than casual labor.

To alleviate these constraints, the Government with funding from the is supporting programs that foster a transition to more secure livelihoods.

Recently the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development in collaboration with relevant line ministries conducted desk and field appraisals for communities that have applied for funding under the livelihood programme targeting women and youth community groups.

The focus is to create alternative and secure sources of income for the vulnerable to improve nutrition, health, environment, and livelihoods in mining areas affected by environmental pollution and illegal mining-related activities.

This initiative seeks to transform mining communities into other economic activities such as fish farming, vegetable farming, and general trading to make them more self-reliant thereby reducing poverty levels.

At least twenty community groups from Kabwe, Kitwe, Chingola, and Mufulira will benefit from this initiative in 2022.