Kitwe Woman Scales Mt Kilimanjaro

By Derrick Silimina

HIKING to the top of Africa’s highest mountain, Kilimanjaro, has never been a task for the faint-hearted.

Aminata Njai, a 35-year-old accountant from Grizzly Mining Company on the Copperbelt, recently embarked on a mission to climb Tanzania’s snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro.

Aminata braved the furious winds and freezing temperatures to fulfill the epic expedition in honor of her late brother, Hamidou, and as a way of celebrating her 35th birthday.

According to experts, unlike Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro is considered a non-technical climb. One does not require mountaineering training or equipment such as ropes or crampons, which however does not make it a mere walk in the park!

On April 13, Aminata and other like-minded souls finally landed at the strenuous summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, an expedition that took six days.

“When I lost my Brother Hamidou, also known by others as Eric, I grieved because it was shocking and sudden. I decided to embark on the journey to partially pay tribute to him because at that moment I didn’t care about all the death stories I heard about Kili; little did I even care about dying. I needed to spend time away and it was worth it. I love you Hamidou,” said Aminata who is Payroll Manager at Grizzly Mining Company.

Having been in the gem fields for more than 10 years, Aminata said the stress of being at the mines also prompted her to look out into the adventure world.

“Whenever I have time to myself, all I look forward is to explore what is out there,” she chuckles.

Standing at 19,341 feet or 5,895 meters, Tanzania’s snow-capped Kilimanjaro is the highest peak in Africa and the world’s tallest free-standing mountain.

It is also the world’s tallest walkable mountain. To reach the summit, one must pass through five distinct climates, including rain-forest, alpine desert and eventually the glacial Arctic.

According to statistics, while more than 20,000 people attempt to scale Mount Kilimanjaro annually, only half of them reach the summit. This just attests to the severity of the challenge of making the ascent.

For Aminata, trekking Kilimanjaro has been on her bucket list for a very long time.

MEANING
“I believe life is an opportunity to create meaning, I have traveled the world. I did almost everything from shopping, museums, the beach, heights, and thrilling adventures. So, what else is left? So, for my birthday in April this year I planned Kilimanjaro; maybe because I knew I was very fit. What a wonderful experience, awarded with a certificate,” she narrates.

Renowned psychologist Abraham Maslow has argued that self-actualization is deeply entrenched in the human psyche, but it only surfaces once the more basic needs are fulfilled.

He believes that once the power needs for food, security, love, and self-esteem are satisfied, a deep desire for creative expression and self-actualization rises to the surface.

Aminata echoes Maslow’s theory and states, “Once you are self- actualized, you have met your full potential as an individual, also not leaving out the power of our Creator, this place makes you realize how powerful Allah our Creator is, He who has made for you the earth as a dwelling place to enjoy His creation

LESSONS LEARNT
Having succeeded on her mission to reach the peak of one of the wonders of the world, Aminata believes she has learned something important about life.

“There is so much that I learned on that mountain. When I came down, I was a different person because I realized so much. You know; in life, do not be too fast. Take one step at a time because when you are climbing the mountain and you are too fast, then you won’t make it to the top. You really must go slow and those are some of the lessons of life that I have actually learned. It also made me realize that when you take your journey with one step at a time, you will actually reach the end.”

Aminata further believes that team-work is also critical if one had to realize their goal in life.

“I don’t think you can manage to walk alone in that bush for six days. So, I learned lessons of unity and the importance of doing things as a group. I was in a group of about 12 porters and two guides. We stuck together throughout our journey and it was overwhelming because we pushed each other. Even if one gets sick, you have to be there for them.”

ROOF

To climb Mount Kilimanjaro is a once in a lifetime opportunity and this is the reason why people travel from all over the world to stand on top of the ‘Roof of Africa’.

Aminata, therefore, believes that being properly prepared to climb Africa’s highest peak is the key to a successful summit attempt. Since Mount Kilimanjaro is known as a ‘walk-up’ mountain, its routes and their variations take between five and nine days to complete, according to Ultimate Kilimanjaro, one of the companies that offer guide services there.

Although climbing Mount Kilimanjaro does not require one to spend time in the gym, there is no need to underestimate its risks and demands.

“You have to walk for eight hours a day because you can’t walk at night as it’s too cold and windy. It’s not even allowed to walk at night. So, during night-time, you have to sleep in tents as there are a lot of camping sites on the way. You camp at night and early morning around 6AM, somebody will wake you up, they will bring you hot water and some hot coffee, then by 7 o’clock, you start off again,” Aminata narrates.

Overall statistics show that since over 20,000 people climb Kilimanjaro every year, tourists’ deaths stand at about 10 per year. This represents a 0.03 percent chance of death or one death per 3,333 climbers.

Most die due to acute mountain sickness (AMS), also known as altitude sickness.

Aminata amplifies the official reports:

“It is actually very dangerous and a lot of people have died on that mountain. Even our porters would tell us stories of people who could not make it because at the end of the day, the higher you go, the less oxygen you have. So, some climbers run out of oxygen, you start panting and it’s hard you know. And there is no evacuation, no wonder people pass away whilst on that mountain. If you are lucky enough to pay a good insurance company, at least there is some evacuation up to a certain level.”

Aminata reveals that she too got sick at some point when they reached the apex of the mountain but against all odds, she made it!

“Once you start losing oxygen, your body will get into a certain condition in which either your blood pressure can rise or things like that. No wonder, when one is at the summit, you are only allowed to be at the peak of the mountain for 20 to 30 minutes because it’s risky but despite that, given a chance of trekking up the mountain, I will do it again!” – Feature courtesy of SUMA SYSTEMS.

Chinese Cement Company Builds a Solid Foundation in Zambia

China’s growing economic muscle in Africa frequently raises fears of domination. However, on the ground, these companies often create jobs and try to comply with laws aimed at strengthening local stakeholdership. A case in point is the Sinoma Cement Company, a Chinese company set up in Zambia in 2015. China-Zambia relations date back to 1964, but local political leaders have frequently criticized the Asian giant’s influence in the country. With $500 Million worth of Chinese investment, Sinoma Cement Company produces cement, pan bricks and other materials for export and domestic use. Its output includes 60,000 bags (about 3,300 tons) of cement per day.

Sinoma public relations manager Wang Weiqi says his company aspires to pursue localization (also known as Zambianization) policies in order to help develop the country.

“Sometimes back when we established our investment here in Zambia, we were told that Zambianization first! For us, that is not just the policy of Zambia but it is also the development strategy of our company because just like the old adage goes; ‘When you are in Rome do what Romans Do’ – also when you are in Lusaka, do what Lusaka people do,” he said in an interview. Wang further stated that beyond training about 50 local workers on how to use advanced equipment, his firm also embraces corporate social responsibility (CSR) as key to enhancing socio-economic development in the community within which the cement plant operates.

“Before the official opening of the cement plant in Chongwe district – Chifwema area, we have done the resettlement of the local people together with the local leadership. We have also constructed Nachitete Hospital and Nachitete Primary School all based in the rural parts of Chongwe district. In 2017, we also funded some local foundations on HIV/AIDS medical service in the area as well as dug some boreholes for the local community in order to improve their water reticulation,” he said.

Sinoma Cement Company Public relations manager Wang Weiqi (R) with Lusaka City Mayor Miles Sampa during a familiarization tour of the cement factory.

Wang stated that since road connectivity is critical to national development, his company has also contracted the Road Development Agency in order to build the 10 Km Chifwema road in order to ease the transportation of goods and services in the area.

Asked how the company will sustain the transfer of technology and skills development to the local community, Wang emphasized that Sinoma’s uniqueness:

“For Sinoma, we are different from other Chinese companies who have invested here in Zambia. We are doing manufacturing and we’ll be here not for 2 – 3 years, we’ll be in Zambia for 20 years, 30 years and we are also learning from other international companies and competitors. For us, the only strategy is to train them and make them learn as fast as possible because it is also very costly for us to only have Chinese colleagues in production working as engineers and technicians. It’s very important for us to transfer technology to our local colleagues,” Wang stated.

In a bid to cement China and Zambia’s bilateral relations, Wang urged Zambians to have a positive image of the Chinese investors and their investments if real economic development is to be realized:

“Especially for us who are doing manufacturing, now we know that, and understand how important it is for the locals to accept us and to have a good image of us so that we can find it easy to have a cordial working relationship,” he said.

Lusaka Mayor, Miles Sampa, recently praised the progress made by Sinoma Cement Company of Lusaka.

 “I am really impressed with the amount of development this company has attained since its launch in 2015,” The Mayor said this when he recently toured the cement plant in Lusaka.

Patson Phiri 34, a machine operator said he has benefited a lot from the cement company’s wide range of in-house training programs. These include courses on-site equipment operation, repairs, and servicing.

Patson, who operates one of the heavy-duty machines at the cement plant is optimistic that the Chinese firm is likely to create more jobs to Zambian youths when it reaches it full production goal of 75,000 bags of cement per day.

“I am certain that more direct and indirect jobs will be created which will grow the company even bigger and employ more of our youths,” he remarked.

Derrick Silimina is an award-winning freelance journalist based in Lusaka who writes regularly on Zambian agricultural, sustainability and China-Africa relations. He can be reached by email at derrick.silimina@gmail.com

Chinese Agricultural Firm Uses Drones to Fight Pests in Zambia

China is playing an increasingly larger role in African agriculture. Chinese influence through business investment, training, value addition, and capacity building is intensifying, and reshaping perceptions.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce is funding around twenty Agricultural Technology Development Centres across Africa. They are initially government-funded and run mostly by companies as part of a commercial model for training and technology transfer among developing countries.

In Zambia, one such center is run by Sunagri Investments. It promotes the use of smart agriculture through state-of-the-art gadgets like drones.

As a staple food, maize (corn) is dominant on most households’ menus and makes up about 90 percent of the country’s food energy intake. It is for this reason that it’s the most cultivated crop in the Southern African country.

Recently, Zambia has been battling an invasive pest commonly known as Fall Armyworms which have continued to ravage the staple crop every farming season. These notorious caterpillars have spread to more than 40 countries in Africa.

During the 2018/19 farming season, 59,993 hectares of land, supporting over 70,000 households, were affected by the outbreak of the armyworms. This has resulted in 46 districts and 521 agriculture camps sending out distress calls.

To counter the threat, Zambia’s Vice President Inonge Wina recently announced the purchase of 41,666 liters of pesticides worth US$500,000, funded from a US$3 million allocation by the African Development Bank.

The problem is how to best use this pesticide. Sunagri Investment Zambia, a Chinese firm, has invested in agro paraphernalia that promotes the use of smart agriculture through innovative tools like drones in order to combat armyworms. Its use of drone technology bypasses labor-intensive manual spraying in favor of intelligent automatic spraying.

“In 2016, do you know how many farmers cried due to an outbreak of armyworms? I then developed an idea and thought about how I can find the right drones that can help fix the armyworms outbreak in Zambia. In 2017, I managed to import 3 manual agricultural drones from China and subsequently brought in smart drones that can be able to spray insecticides even during the night,” Sunagri Investment Zambia Director Frazer Zhang said in an interview.

Zhang stressed that Sunagri’s XAG (Xaircraft) drone is one of the effective alternatives to help wipe out the pests quickly because manual spray during the day is labor-intensive, costly and a waste of chemicals as the worms only come out to feed on the crops at night.

Sunagri Investment Zambia Director Frazer Zhang showcase the XAG (Xaircraft) Drone during the just ended Agritech Expo in Chisamba district, Central Zambia. Photo by Derrick Silimina.

“First of all, we can fly in the night by using RTK positioning in the like manner we fly during the daytime. In terms of efficiency, each drone per day can cover 45 hectares and the task can effectively be done. After 3-4 days after spraying, you will find that the pests are vanquished including the bigger worms that usually hide inside the maize stalk,” Zhang said.

Zhang who has been in Zambia for 8 years urged farmers to invest in drones as the technology is smart, efficient and cost-effective depending on the size of the equipment and the area to be sprayed.

However, in view of the harmful effects of pesticides on the environment and the possibility of the pesticides to induce immunity in the pests, Zhang highlighted that the use of pesticides isn’t the most effective way to control the armyworms: “Moving forward, there is need to invest in environmentally friendly gadgets in future for detecting these pests on time.”

Zhang said his company is already working with Chamba Valley Farm, York farm, Seed-co, and Zambia Sugar among others in a bid to expand its services in the SADC region.

Zhang reiterated that through his enterprise, he hopes to influence the Zambian youth back to agricultural productivity.

“My dream number one is to make Zambia’s agriculture sector smart and my dream number two is that I hope to influence the Zambian young people back to agriculture. I want to make Zambia and its young generation become a model of smart agriculture in Africa,” he stated.

Amos Mweemba, a farmer in the Southern province, one of the highly affected regions in the country affirmed that the drone helped eradicate the worms on time.

“Just imagine, last time we were spraying at a 3 hectares farm in Choma district, we spent 20 minutes with this drone but with a tractor, it takes 3 hours,” Mweemba noted in an interview at the 2019 Agritech Show.

Agritech Expo spectators admire one of the drones on display during the just ended Agritech Expo in Chisamba district, Central Zambia. Photo by Derrick Silimina.

Zhang reiterated that through his enterprise, he hopes to influence the Zambian youth back to agricultural productivity.

“My dream number one is to make Zambia’s agriculture sector smart and my dream number two is that I hope to influence the Zambian young people back to agriculture. I want to make Zambia and its young generation become a model of smart agriculture in Africa,” he stated.

Amos Mweemba, a farmer in the Southern province, one of the highly affected regions in the country affirmed that the drone helped eradicate the worms on time.

“Just imagine, last time we were spraying at a 3 hectares farm in Choma district, we spent 20 minutes with this drone but with a tractor, it takes 3 hours,” Mweemba noted in an interview at the 2019 Agritech Show.

Derrick Silimina is an award-winning freelance journalist based in Lusaka who writes regularly on Zambian agricultural, sustainability and China-Africa relations. He can be reached by email at derrick.silimina@gmail.com

Chinese Recycling Firm Creates Jobs while Cleaning Up Lusaka

Isabel Tembo, a mother of 2, wakes up every morning and heads to a local dumpsite in Zambia’s capital – Lusaka to join several other jobless women who pick through piles of garbage to collect plastic bottles for sale.

Confronted with increasing amounts of waste in Zambia, a number of women are starting to collect plastic litter for a living.

“I got familiarized to this business of scavenging for used plastic bottles by my friends so that I earn income. We do supply these waste empty bottles to Hongsen Company limited which in turn recycles them into finished plastic wares,” Isabel explained in an interview.

She noted that a bundle of plastics fetches around K25, equivalent to $2 while a sack of plastic bottles sells for about K15 ($1.15).

For Isabel and her fellow business-minded persons believe that where an ordinary eye sees trash, an entrepreneur sees the treasure.

But plastic pollution devastates habitats, and experts blame it for damaging human health by for example contaminating drinking water.

Hongsen Investment Limited in Lusaka’s Makeni area - Photos by Derrick Silimina

The Chinese firm, Hongsen Investment Limited, is taking on Zambia’s plastic problem. It recently established a recycling plant turning plastic bottles into finished plastic wares such as dishes, cups, hangers, brooms, and buckets.

While Chinese companies in Africa have sometimes been blamed for lax environmental standards, Hongsen’s sustainability initiative is not only earning a profit out of used plastic bottles but also working to reduce the impact of plastic refuse on people, wildlife and the environment. And it is creating jobs at the same time.

Jack Miti, 28, is one of the suppliers of used plastic bottles to Hongsen. He feels that the establishment of the factory has improved the quality of life of nearby communities.

“Long before this company came here, we had a lot of litter and dumpsites around but all have been cleared for recycling purposes. Not only is this firm creating employment for our community, it is also helping to keep our environment clean and healthy.”

Workers sort-out various plastic wares made from waste plastic by Hongsen Investments

In line with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), a global practice that places significant obligations on producers to support recycling, the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA), an independent environmental regulator recently proposed the phasing out of plastic bags in the country.

“Enforcing this global practice would make manufacturers of packaging products to take on the responsibility of preventing waste such as plastics from being a threat to the environmental,” ZEMA Public Relations Officer Irene Chipili recently said in a statement.

She explained that one of the aims of EPR is to give producers incentives to change product design in environmentally benign ways. This includes making it easier to reuse and recycle products.

Hongsen Investment Director Yan Qingguo said in an interview that they decided to set up the recycling factory in Zambia after observing that the country had no such commercial recycling factories to help with environmental management issues.

“…When we first came to Zambia and discovered that there’s a lot of plastic waste all over. And you know, plastic waste does not easily decompose hence becomes a threat to the environment. And since there was no company that was doing the recycling business, we thought of establishing one within Lusaka,” Yan said. “For now, am proud to say it is working out well because we have created jobs for the local people as they have found something to do by supplying us with this stuff,” Yan says the company’s overall objective is to collaborate with the government to strengthen the Keep Zambia Clean Campaign.

Hongsen Company Administration officer Thandiwe Chaaba

And company administration officer Thandiwe Chaaba said the firm is creating value out of plastic waste material by contributing to job creation and environmental sustainability:

“We recycle waste plastics. We get it from our suppliers in the surrounding community and when they deliver it here, we have a machine that washes, and after that, there is another machine that complete the manufacturing cycle through shapes of plastics such as cups, comb, dustpans, plates and so on.”

Thandiwe, who is also a Chinese translator, highlighted that the local community is benefiting from the recycling plant because they are both employed, and they are cleaning up their environment.

Some of the finished products made by Hongsen Investment

China recently banned the importing of plastic for recycling because of the environmental impact of the recycling process. Since then, plastic recycling has moved to other regions, including East Africa.

As the Lusaka City Council and other local authorities struggle to find better methods of waste management, trash pickers like Isabel will continue to make a living out of dumpsites. As far as they are concerned, the dumpsite is a goldmine that should be left intact.

Derrick Silimina is an award-winning freelance journalist based in Lusaka who writes regularly on Zambian agricultural, sustainability and China-Africa relations. He can be reached by email at derricksilimina@gmail.com.

BOLSTERING ZAMBIA'S FDI

The first Bank of China African unit serves to attract Chinese investments to Zambia

By Derrick Silimina

China-Zambia diplomatic relations have a long history dating back to as early as 1964, and many cooperative milestones have been celebrated along the way. One that symbolizes the friendship and unity between the two nations is the recent two-decade anniversary of Bank of China (Zambia) Ltd. (BOC (Z) Ltd.).

As a fully-licensed bank branch, BOC (Z) Ltd. is headquartered in Lusaka and provides both corporate and personal services, including credit facilities, account services, international settlements, exchange services and Chinese renminbi (RMB) services.

BOC (Z) Ltd.'s existence in the country has withstood the test of time, and it is for this reason that the financial institution's quality services have enhanced its clientele network base. This has therefore helped bolster China's foreign direct investments (FDIs) in Zambia which has accumulated to $2.6 billion, with more than 500 Chinese companies investing in various sectors of the local economy.

Pioneering services

Established in late 1997, BOC (Z) Ltd. is the first wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of China (BOC) in Africa, and also the first Chinese financial institution on the continent.

"There is a very good relationship between China and Africa and between China and Zambia in particular. Therefore, we have seen the exchange of bilateral trade and economic treaties, and as a bank we think it contributes and facilitates such exchange. That is why BOC chose Zambia to be our first base in Africa two decades ago," Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Jie told ChinAfrica.

Financial banks such as BOC find Zambia a viable investment destination, as it enjoys comparable environment for cooperation thanks to the support of the Zambian Government, as well as the positive mentality of the people who are aligned to development and open to cooperation. These virtues make Zambia one of the countries in Africa to be attractive to Chinese investors. "This is very important for financial institutions to make their decisions to establish in a foreign country," said Li.

In regard to BOC's significant influence and reputation, as compared to other commercial banks in the country, Ambassador Li said the bank is attracting more Chinese investment to Zambia because of the background of Chinese culture and the increasing bilateral activities.

He said the unique services provided by BOC have borne fruit as there has been an increase in the number of Chinese investors in Zambia.

In a bid to promote China–Zambia economic relations, the Chinese envoy further said, "We have been very instrumental in facilitating imports and exports, in particular over the past 10 years, because of the increase in investments. We are also facilitating and providing services through those investments in terms of settlements and trade-related financing."

Trading in RMB

The BOC ranked fifth in total assets among the 17 banks in Zambia in 2016, and in the last few years it has granted billions of dollars worth of loans to local mining, energy, infrastructure, public utilities and sanitation projects.

Zambian Vice President Inonge Wina, while attending the Zambia-China Week in China recently, hailed BOC and awarded the bank a certificate of appreciation for its contribution to Zambia's development.

And recently, China's central bank has appointed BOC to clear RMB transactions in Zambia, which is aimed at Chinese businesses operating in the country as well as Zambians importing goods from China.

BOC (Z) Ltd. Managing Director Wang Qi told ChinAfrica that this move will hasten bilateral trade for both countries and help create linkages to benefit their economies and further strengthen the friendly ties.

Wang said he believed that it was the bank's duty to lower the cost of currency exchange arising from the increasing economic activities between the two nations.

"So we brought in RMB so that Zambians could trade easily with China instead of using dollars or pounds and change them back to RMB."

Wang said the former transaction practice means higher costs to traders and customers. So by trading directly between Zambian and Chinese currencies, it will help reduce the exchange costs for both importers and exporters. This move further reduces the cost of goods, so that the public could pay less in terms of goods imported or exported by the two countries, he said.

Looking ahead to the coming September, when the Beijing Summit of the Forum on Africa-China Cooperation is to be held in Beijing, Wang said the summit will be very important because both China and Africa have really seen rapid and diversified economic growth lately.

"I am sure the Zambian Government will make full use of the opportunity to showcase Zambia to the Chinese business circles and increase their confidence in the country as their investment destination," said Wang.