* Now that I’m getting enough money from my job, I want to go back to school and work my way up to university and come back to work at Kangankunde
* Not as a dumper operator, but either as an engineer, or as mining operations manager—22-year-old dumper operator Promise Mchombo
Feature by Kondwani Magombo, Malawi News Agency (MANA)
It is another day at Kangankunde in Balaka, Traditional Authority (TA) Chanthunya, where an Australian company, Lindian Resources Limited, is implementing one of Malawi’s huge mining projects aimed at extracting and processing rare earths deposits endowed in the hill.
Advertisement
As everyone is going about their respective jobs, something unusual catches the eye of an observant visitor as daring young women take up tasks believed traditionally believed to be for men only.
Grace Kaliati, 27, from Sanudi Village, T/A Chanthunya, will surprise you with her tool box, fixing a vehicle, getting it running on its wheels again.
“I’m very proud to have been given the opportunity to work alongside male counterparts at this company and demonstrate my expertise in the field,” explains Kaliati, holder of Advanced Certificate in Automobile Mechanics.
As her words sink in and keep echoing in the observant visitor’s mind, deep into the field, two 40-ton Komatsu dumper trucks groan, one snaking its way up the hill to collect a load of blasted rocks, while the other, loaded, makes its way down the hill to a dumpsite.
Behind the wheels of the trucks are young females, 22-year-old Promise Mchombo and Rabecca Rabson, 25 – both from T/A Chanthunya.
Both Mchombo and Rabson were initially employed at Lindian Resources Limited as general workers and none of them ever dreamt of operating machines of this magnitude one day.
“I was employed as a general worker in construction and when the opportunity came to fill the vacancy of a dumper operator, I applied, although I was only holding a C1 driving license,” Mchombo explains.
On the other hand, Rabson had no any driving qualification, nor any prior driving knowledge, and she was employed at the company as a ‘spotter’, her duty being to guide the dumping trucks where to offload.
“So, one day, the human resources personnel asked me to choose which of the machines I would like to learn to operate,” Rabson explains. “I was very excited and I chose the dumper because it always fascinated me with its back and forth maneuvers as I guided it to the dumpsite.”
The two young women were trained on site for six weeks and, according to the operators’ supervisor, Isaac Nazombe, Mchombo and Rabson are among the most reliable operators at the site.
Operators’ supervisor, Isaac Nazombe
“The girls are very committed – just like their male counterparts – and they’ve coped up well with their new roles,” explains Nazombe, who also controls fleet at the mine.
Meanwhile, a third young female operator, Chifundo Nawanje, from Nanthalo Village, T/A Tsikulamowa, Ntcheu, is under training to master the operation of the machine and attain the experience Mchombo and Rabson have.
Nawanja, too, was initially employed as a general worker and, like Rabson, she never had any prior knowledge of driving.
“I’m very excited with this job. To be honest, I had never thought that one day I’d drive a vehicle, let alone operate a machine of this magnitude,” says Nawanje.
Such is how Lindian Resources Limited is inspiring local Malawians, including young women, from the surrounding villages by empowering them with competitive job opportunities and skills.
The company’s Executive Director, Zac Komur, indicates that the construction phase of the Kangankunde mining project has seen thousands of locals, skilled and non-skilled, get employed and have their livelihoods transformed.
Zac Komur
“We have more than 3,000 personnel working across the project – that is something we’re extremely proud of,” said Komur during a recent visit by Minister of Mines, Thoko Tembo.
“And behind those numbers are Malawian operators, engineers, geologists, tradespeople, safety and environmental professionals, supervisors, contractors and support personnel working together to build Kangankunde.
Komur added that when Kangankunde project moves into steady-state production, the company will have an operating workforce of at least 274 people, with around 90% of the positions held by Malawians.
The idea is to create long-term employment, develop skills and provide career pathways that continue throughout the operating life of the mine, he said.
“We want Kangankunde to leave a lasting capability in Malawi — transferring knowledge and creating opportunities for Malawians to take increasingly senior technical, operational and leadership roles.
“Sustainability is when the mine can be run by Malawians, and here at Kangankunde, the best resource that we have is human capital – very eager, open to knowledge transfer and learning.”
The firm also keeps engaging communities around Kangankunde, identifying their needs and addressing the same.
Some of the corporate social responsibilities that the company has rendered include upgrading Kangankunde Primary School into-modern facility at cost of US1 million, constructing a nursery school with over 400 children enrolled, and supporting the schools with books and desks.
The company has also upgraded the road stretching from the M1 Road to Kangankunde and constructed a police unit at T/A Chanthunya’s headquarters.
Beyond the social responsibilities and employment, Kangankunde project has presented opportunities for Malawian businesses, contractors, suppliers and service providers, with expenditure flowing through the local and national economy through wages, procurement, transport, accommodation, construction and supporting services.
Speaking on behalf of the leaders of the communities that surround the mine, T/A Chanthunya was at loss of words to explain the vast economic transformation that the project has brought among the people in the surrounding areas.
T/A Chanthunya
“There is quite a lot that this project has brought, so far,” he said during the Minister’s visit. “As I speak, the police unit at my headquarters which the company constructed has enhanced security, while the contribution of the road and the upgrading of our primary school here cannot be over emphasised.
“But above all, our young men and young women have found jobs and skills which are going to transform their lives for the better.”
The Minister’s visit was to have a firsthand view of the progress made at the mine and appreciate its contribution to the country’s economy and the presence and role of the young female machine operators did not miss his attention.
Minister Thoko Tembo at Kangankude
He commended the direction taken by Lindian Resources Limited in providing equal opportunities: “I’m very pleased with what I’ve seen.
“President Peter Mutharika wants mining to benefit Malawians. That’s why licences were stopped and exportation of minerals was banned.”
Tembo further commended the mining company for adjusting its license from medium scale to large scale, describing it as an indication that the area, and the nation at large, will benefit more from the project.
“We expect a lot more than just revenue. We’ve got the jobs that the project will create, with the local people at centre stage. We expect that Kangankunde will open doors and develop Malawi,” he said.
Lindian Resources Limited indicates that it is at Kangankunde to stay, as the rare earths deposits at the hill are in world record abundance.
The company’s promise of long stay is good news to the local employees, as it gives them an assurance of ‘eternal’ job security.
But to the youthful female machine operators, the longevity of the project is more than good news as it aligns well with their plans of continuing with their education.
“Our work schedule is very flexible and gives us room for studies,” explains Mchombo, who completed her secondary school education in 2022.
“Operating the dumper has ignited deeper ambitions in me. Now that I’m getting enough money from my job, I want to go back to school and work my way up to university and come back to work at Kangankunde – not as a dumper operator, but either as an engineer, or as mining operations manager,” Mchombo said.—Editing by Duncan Mlanjira; Maravi Express
Advertisement