SOLWEZI BUSINESS SUCCESS STORIES GO ON AIR
THE highlights of Kansanshi Mining Plc-sponsored business development training workshops have been extended to radio programmes where success stories are now related by beneficiaries.
And Solwezi businessman Ian Shiko has urged people not to ignore business development training workshops conducted by Fortune World Investments (FWI) because there are many benefits.
Kansanshi Mining business development consultancy firm, FWI says business programmes on Solwezi Radio have been introduced to sensitise the community on advantages of the workshops.
FWI managing director Mukumbi Kafuta has said in an interview that radio was an effective medium of information dissemination and chose Solwezi
Radio to air business programmes because of its wide listenership.
“Business development workshops have now been extended to radio as participants are taken to the radio station to give their success stories pertaining to how business workshops are benefiting their businesses directly,” he says.
“This is important to us because we feel that radio is one medium of information dissemination which can reach many people and sensitise them on how Kansanshi Mining Plc is impacting the local business community by imparting knowledge and skills for enterprise development.”
Mr Kafuta says it is important for the citizenry to know how enterprises are being transformed by business workshop training, which is a way to encourage others to attend the training sessions.
He commended Kansanshi Mining and First Quantum Minerals (FQM) for showing interest in the Greater Solwezi by empowering business people through developing their skills.
And speaking during a radio programme on Solwezi Radio, Mr Shiku, one of beneficiaries of the workshops, said his farming business has grown because of the skills he acquired.
He encouraged other micro and small entrepreneurs to take advantage of Kansanshi Mining Plc sponsored workshops by attending and acquiring skills and knowledge.
“The people who have heard about business development workshops in Solwezi should not ignore it. They should attend and will be able to see the difference in their businesses.”
He implored Kansanshi Mining Plc not to discontinue the business development programme as enterpreneurs were being transformed while many others were yet to be trained.
“I don’t wish seeing this programme coming to an end, because we are not
the only ones; maybe there are other people out there who don’t know about it. They should come up with ways of raising awareness for others who don’t know about this programme so that they can also come forward and acquire knowledge, which has greatly uplifted us,” he said.
Another participant Rabson Mwebela reports that because of the business workshops, he has become financially disciplined, making savings and even managed to buy a hammer mill to increase his profits. “There is no black magic in running business.”
Jelita Muleya, a poultry farmer, spoke highly of the workshops as they can end poverty in communities once people acquire business knowledge and begin to use money prudently.
Robina Senkanti says, “I have learnt how to work with people, and welcome them to my business. My encouragement to other people is that you need to remain open to the business, pricing and customer handling.”
Ruth Tantula Mateyowaila, a farmer of college area, says she learned how to carry out specialised farming business instead of mixed agriculture.
“Any business is a great business, don’t aim at bigger business. You can start small and then grow it,” notes Mateyo Waila. - Story courtesy of