KCM AIDS LEATHER FIRM
By NATION REPORTER KONKOLA Copper Mines (KCM) has spent more than K120,000 on supporting the Copperbelt Leather Cluster Company to improve its operations and expand from Kitwe to Chingola.
Apart from spending the K120,000, the giant mining company also assisted the firm with a building to be used for various operations.
KCM Manager for Public Relations and Communications Shapi Shachinda said the decision to support the Copperbelt Leather Cluster Company was part of its concept to encourage and promote entrepreneurship and diversification.
Mr Shacinda was speaking in Kitwe at the just ended Copperbelt Agricultural, Mining, Industrial and Networking Enterprise Exhibition (CAMINEX) at the Copperbelt Show grounds whose theme was, 're-positioning for environmentally sustainable growth.
"KCM employs a lot of people, but it cannot employ everyone. So we have decided to support various forms of entrepreneurship to enable people earn some income. So when Copperbelt Leather Cluster Company approached us, we thought we should support them.
"We responded by giving them an initial funding of K120,000 for equipment and we also assisted them with a building to use for their operations. Before that, KCM organised a-three day training workshop. It has 23 employees," Mr Shachinda said.
Mr Shacinda said KCM was also helping the leather company through marketing its products during exhibitions like trade shows where the mining company was exhibiting.
"We are also helping it with market linkages by exhibiting its products on the KCM stand like we are exhibiting here at CAMINEX. So as KCM, we will try everything within our means to ensure that we support entrepreneurship," he said.