As one of the largest mining companies operating in Zambia, Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) strives to ensure that the impact of our investment goes beyond simply paying taxes, but benefits the communities where we operate.

Our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes have a rich history. KCM specifically took on significant social responsibilities from the period before the privatization of the mines, including the development of hospitals, schools and other social programmes. After the acquisition of KCM, the CSR programmes have been expanded to ensure effective and maximum outreach.

Since 2005, KCM has spent over US$ 150 million on CSI programmes.

The four key areas for social development cover:

• Health
• Education
• Sustainable livelihoods
• Sports development

Health

Investing in the health of our employees the local community and the population of Zambia is a key priority for us. KCM continues to operate two hospitals and eight clinics it inherited prior to Vedanta’s acquisition of the mine, providing free medical services to more than 63,000 people annually from across Zambia, including KCM employees and their dependents. It also provides subsidised healthcare to the general public.

Over the years KCM has supported a number of important health initiatives, including:

• Eye screening programmes: Between 2008 and 2012, KCM financed eye-screening; provided 15,000 reading glasses to school children and elderly people, and conducted 171 cataract eye operations.
• Artificial limbs: In 2008, KCM provided 176 amputees in Zambia with artificial limbs.
• Kidney disease surgery: Since 2012, KCM has supported the first private sector programme bringing permanent access vascular surgery for haemodialysis treatment in Zambia for patients suffering from kidney disease.
• Malaria: Since 2004, KCM has supported the Expanded Rollback malaria programme, involving an integrated vector management approach through Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) of over 40,000 households per year. Recently, the programme has moved to provide mosquito nets to households.
• HIV/AIDS: In 2007, KCM launched its workplace HIV/AIDS policy to mitigate effects of HIV/AIDS among employees. Since then, the programme has been extended to communities around KCM operation areas.

Education

When KCM inherited two schools in 2005, we not only took over the responsibilities borne by the previous owner, the state mining company ZCCM, but decided to expand on the schools to offer education to more children. KCM has extended the two primary schools that it inherited at privatization to full secondary level schools through investment in infrastructure and teaching staff. Previously, the schools accommodated 650 students; however, KCM’s investments now mean the schools provide education to over 2,000 students. In addition, the top 15-20 students from these schools are sponsored for full-time degree programmes. (See the Scholastic Excellence Awards case study for more details)

Other investments in education include:

• Computer literacy programme: Since 2010, KCM has provided 410 computers to government run schools, impacting up to 7,000 students. The project has been adopted by government as a national policy.
• Nampundwe Primary School: The school, near Lusaka, has been converted into a high school and an examination centre. This was achieved through the construction of 10 classroom blocks as well as two science laboratories; doubling enrolment to 1,700 in 2013.
• Classroom construction: We have also constructed 9 classrooms in 3 government run schools in Chingola in order to create more space for students. Another initiative was to connect a rural school to the national power grid.
• School hygiene investments: In order to improve hygiene as well as enhance school attendance we invested in various infrastructure. This included installing boreholes in 10 government run schools, as well as toilet facilities for each school.
• Scholarship programme: KCM has awarded 302 students with scholarships to study in a number of fields, including medicine, mining and business courses in the UK, Australia, India, Namibia, Kenya and Zambia since 2007. This programme covers both our employees and their dependents.
• Kitwe Trade School: As one of the largest vocational training centres in Africa, the school provides artisans with skills that are critical for the mining sector. It trains an average of 200 people students each year.

KCM is aware of the critical importance of early childhood development particularly through education. In line with this, KCM invested in building day care centres:

• The day care centres in Chililabombwe and Chingola cater for 320 children of local marketeers
• The centres provide these children with meals, uniforms and education

See the Early Childhood Care Centres case studies for more details

Sustainable development

KCM works with the local community to originate sustainable projects that ensure self-sustenance and development beyond the life of the mine. Among these initiatives are:

• Youth skills development: KCM supports initiatives for youth skills development through its NGO partners. This programme targets youths involved in illegal small scale mining by providing training in life skills like tailoring, art, livestock rearing and career guidance for conventional education.
• Sustainable livelihoods programme: In 2012, KCM launched the US$ 2 million enhanced sustainable livelihood programme, which provides livestock to small scale farmers, particularly to women and youth. Beneficiaries are imparted with farming knowledge and the programmes have helped with income generation, a reduction of poverty and enhanced food security. See the Rural livelihood enhancement programme case study for further details .

Infrastructure

In 2012, we invested in road infrastructure, reconstructing 7.5 kilometres of road network in Chingola and targeting roads leading to densely populated areas at a cost of US$ 4.5 million

Sports Development

KCM is the largest sponsor of football in Zambia, and is the only privately owned firm that supports four teams in the top leagues of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ). The teams we support in the league are:

• Nchanga Rangers
• Konkola Blades
• Konkola Mine Police
• Nampundwe FC

Football is not simply important as a sport in Zambia, but it also provides an alternative source of livelihood for thousands of young footballers and support staff. Our teams provide employment to 160 young talents. These four KCM teams have provided 10 players to various junior and senior national football teams. In addition, two coaches from the KCM clubs have been appointed to train Zambia’s national youth teams.

Our football support and sponsorship initiatives have included:

• FAZ leagues: KCM pioneered the private sector sponsorship of all structures in the FAZ leagues from 2005 to 2011. Our support to the FAZ league was comprised of financial support to all registered teams, footballs and the use of two KCM stadiums to the Zambian national team.
• African Cup of Nations: In 2012, Zambia won Africa’s premier football event, the African Cup of Nations (Afcon)In celebration of the achievement, KCM chartered a Boeing 737 aircraft to carry supporters from Zambia to Gabon and back to Zambia, accompanied by the victorious national soccer team. Key to this success was the holistic approach taken to support the FAZ league, the hiring of specialist coaches, and the sponsorship of four teams in the league.

Football is not the only sport that KCM has supported:

• KCM has also provided Platinum sponsorship of the Zambia Open golf championship – a fixture in the Sunshine Tour – in both 2011 and 2012.
• In 2012, the company also provided a US$2 million upgrade of the Nchanga golf course restoring it to its former glory – the club was ranked 14th best outside the USA in 1979.