Mabiza Cycling Safety and Environmental Awareness Capaign

On August 18, 2023, Mabiza Resources Limited collaborated with CSR Network Zambia and Kumalundu Trails to launch an environmental awareness and cycling safety campaign in the Chikani area of Chikankata district. This region has witnessed a surge in charcoal production, supplying Mazabuka, Kafue and Lusaka, making it a critical focus for our collective efforts.

The dedicated team consisted of representatives from Mabiza Resources, CSR Network Zambia, Kumalundu Trails, World Vision and Zambia Traffic Police. Together, we engaged with over two hundred Chikani residents, many of whom are actively involved in charcoal production. During our interactions, numerous concerns were voiced, including the rampant deforestation without reforestation efforts, unsustainable charcoal production methods and a growing number of accidents involving cyclists transporting heavy charcoal loads. Additionally, we learned of children being kept from school to assist with charcoal production, further highlighting the need for change.

Mabiza Resources has pledged to work closely with local communities on tree-planting initiatives. Through collaboration with World Vision, we aim to introduce smart agricultural practices and Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) techniques that not only benefit the environment but also create additional income opportunities and improve livelihoods. Our commitment extends to supporting activities that promote the conservation and protection of natural resources, foster ecological balance and strengthen the bond between communities and the environment.

A representative from the Zambia Police noted that many accidents involving motorists and cyclists can be prevented through increased attention, better understanding of road responsibilities, and enhanced mutual respect. Our engagement with the community aimed to create a safe and harmonious environment for all road users, emphasizing the importance of mutual respect. By raising awareness and providing education, we can make cycling safer. A safer cycling environment promotes it as both a secure mode of transportation and a healthy recreational activity that benefits individual health, community well-being, and the planet.

As a symbol of our commitment to road safety, members of the Chikani community, represented by their three headmen, were provided with bright reflective vests and reflective stickers for their bicycles to enhance visibility on the road. This initiative is a step toward safer roads and a more sustainable future. Together, we can make a positive impact and promote harmonious coexistence between all road users.

MABIZA ECO FUN DAY

Mabiza Resources Limited’s first Eco Fun Day, hosted and facilitated jointly by the mining company, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Network Zambia and Kumalundu Trails, was held on 19th February 2023 at the Hippo View Waterfront along the banks of Kafue River in Kafue. The day was preceded by an Environmental Awareness campaign the day before, whose aim was to raise awareness on the effects of deforestation and mobilizing community members to build commitment towards caring for the environment and forests.

In his opening remarks, the CSRNZ Executive Director recognized the presence of the Council Chairperson Chikankata District, Mr. Conrad Ngoma and his team, the General Manager of Mabiza Resources Ltd, Mr. Michael Musonda accompanied by the wife, the organizing team from Mabiza Resources, Mr. Lloyd Moomba and his team, the representative from Ministry of Green Economy and Environment, Mr. Frank Gwaba, and other representatives from exhibiting companies like Buffalo Bicycles, Green Fire, Green Belt Energy and Solidaridad, whose products/services can be adopted to protect, preserve and enrich our environment.

CSR Network Zambia Executive Director giving his remarks

He reminded the gathering that our environment is the most precious gift that God has given us. How we sustain it, is the key to the development of the future of mankind. It is the duty and responsibility of each one of us to protect, conserve and grow nature. The degradation of our environment is linked with the development process and the ignorance of people about retaining the ecological balance. He emphasized the importance of environmental education which increases public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues or problems, which in turn provides the public with the necessary skills to make informed decisions and take responsible actions.
In closing his remarks, Mr. Muzala thanked all for attending the event and took the opportunity to invite Mr. Musonda to give his remarks on behalf of the mine.

Mr. Michael Musonda, General manager, Mabiza Resources giving opening remarks

Mr. Musonda stressed the importance of the mine in tackling the effects of climate change for the sake of future generations. He acknowledged that Munali Nickel Mine was the second largest mine in the region if not the biggest, and by this the mine felt obliged to engage with outlying communities on how best to fight the climate change effects and empower communities in livelihoods and smart agricultural practices. He expressed gratitude towards the commitment shown by community members in Chikani area, who exhibited willingness to work with the mine to combat defeorestation in the area and engage in sustainable charcoal production. He disclosed that the mine has committed to planting ten-thousand trees. He further extended an open invitation to Chikankata District Council to seek an audience with the mine and explore areas of collaboration. He also thanked the various partners who supported the event financially – Lwenshi Limited, Alpha Tech, Siame Transport, Butlas Security, Juflona,Redpath, Fleetrec, Netweb, Ansultech Fire Systems and Ashaz Printing among others.


Chikankata Council Chairperson, Mr. Conrad Ngoma, in his keynote speech, called for concerted effort in addressing the causes of climate change and environmental degradation in the district and the country at large.
Mr. Ngoma stressed that in a world where environmental degradation is a growing concern, it has become more critical than ever to understand the importance of environmental awareness and the role that each individual can play to mitigate the effects.

He was speaking when he officially opened the Mabiza Eco Fun Day, a day that was preceded by an Environmental Awareness campaign the day before, whose aim was to raise awareness on the effects of deforestation and mobilizing community members to build commitment towards caring for the environment and forests.

The awareness campaign was also facilitated by CSR Network Zambia (CSRNZ) on behalf of Mabiza Resources Limited (Munali Nickel Mine) targeting communities along the Mazabuka road and outlying areas like Chikani that are said to have become hotspots for charcoal production.

The Council Chairperson has since commended Mabiza Resources for supporting activities that strengthen the conservation and protection of natural resources, advance ecology sustainability and foster harmony between communities and the environment.

ANNOUNCEMENT: New CSRNZ Advisory Board

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Network Zambia would like to introduce the members of the Advisory Board – Mr. Matongo Matamwandi (Chairperson), Mr. Lee Muzala (Board Secretary), Mr. Oliver Kanene, Mr. Stephen Lungu SC, Mrs Jacqueline Chishimba Kalabo, Ms. Mulemwa Moongwa and Mr. Chibamba Mwansakilwa.

“The goals of CSR Network Zambia is to promote a culture of responsible business practices, foster strategic collaborations, recognise innovative best practices and strengthen the understanding of CSR in order to achieve a balance between profitability and sustainable development in Zambia.

We are excited to welcome our new Advisory Board members!

Celebrating Women in CSR – Mulemwa Moongwa

What is your background and how did you get into CSR?

I am a Certified Meetings Practitioner and an Event Strategist , I have worked and earned in the events industry for the past seventeen years rising through the ranks primarily working in social family oriented activities like birthdays to day specializing in business events. I often struggle to explain my job as the industry locally has no defined learning or career paths, I however spent considerable time learning about the industry and today serving not only as a local advocate but for the continent in different spaces.

Managing events for businesses means appreciating their stakeholder interests, by default I have worked in CSR for the past twelve years. My first encounter with CSR was actually working on a training project for KCM in chingola in 2006. I am a very compassionate person so something to feel good, got me interested and I immediately started to learn about it. The most fascinating thing I remember was the manager being female and a chemist, I knew I would never be chemist but I wanted to know how to get a job that was designed to do good for other people. Sixteen years on, I am still at it!

What are you passionate about in your work?

Successful events are categorized by two (2) elements, they bring about change and they have multiple stakeholders. Changing minds and having everyone from their diverse backgrounds is an art form and I take such a keen interest in everything I work on

 

Could you share one or two challenges you have experienced in your career around CSR and how you overcame them?

Making clients understand that CSR is not a marketing campaign and maintaining the human dignity conversations. A ‘helpie’ is a street term describing a pose with someone receiving a lifeline from you. It used to break my heart to watch as clients rushed in with their cameras. I have been vulnerable in my life and I hate being an object of pity, it was a struggle for me to separate my personal feelings and deliver for clients, the solution eventually was to not take on such projects. Today, the projects I work on, adhere to my parameters of comfort, I am not sure I overcame but I find peace working on them.

What has been the biggest challenge you faced in your work during COVID19? How did you overcome it?

I am a person whose job description is to gather people, the declaration of the pandemic in Zambia on 11 March 2020 deleted my job. It’s been almost 2 years of re-skilling, re-tooling and re-imagining my career path. It was the industry disruption caused by the pandemic that exposed that the industry I had worked and thrived in was an informal arena although a part of what was thought to be a very developed tourism sector not only in Zambia. My qualifications were not even recognized in the local qualifications framework so even to get a job is a challenge for me and others from the sector.

The Meetings Industry that is part of the wider Events and Business Tourism industry is a multi-billion industry even on the African continent as evidenced by the continuous investments in its infrastructure. Although most of us worked in it, when COVID struck, there was no data about its actual impact to warrant decision making in our favour. It got personal.

I had never brandished being Zambia’s first certified Meetings Professional because I had been secretly studying to meet the practice requirement and by December 2022. I am on course to hold the most industry specific certifications on the continent.  I have established MICE Academy Zambia to become a centre of excellence for our industry education. The realization that COVID would retire me gave me such a fighting spirit I joined forces with others from the industry at local,  regional and international level. Today I am the founding Vice President of the Events Professionals Association of Zambia, the President of Meetings Professionals International  Africa Chapter www.mpi.org (in development) . Over the past eighteen months I have lobbied as high as the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the African Union. I have been appointed to the Council of Events Professionals in Africa and the MPI Emerging Markets Advisory Boards.

I lost loved ones during the pandemic, I overcame the pain by focusing on being the change.

 

What can we do to empower more women to come to the CSR forefront and lead the social and/or environmental impact?

The gender and CSR issues are both business conversations. Organisations that have more women in decision making positions undoubtedly lead in their social impact. Lets increase the involvement of our staff in CSR activities with deliberate policies to ensure increased female participation. I often find female volunteers are easy to mobilise , it is the gender imbalanced boardrooms where decisions about CSR are made that need attention.

 

What is one thing you wish you had been told when you were starting out that you know now?

CHANGE IS A PROCESS NOT AN EVENT! When I was younger I would believe that after an event , the change I desired to see would be implemented and evident , I would be so disappointed when evaluating projects that I often felt like a failure. I quit certain projects because I felt my efforts were wasted , only to see something after 5 years. Looking back I wish this was taught to me, perseverance is a trait I carry but its been a long learning curve.

 

What advice would you give to a woman starting her career or involvement in CSR today?

Service to others is the rent you pay for your space here on earth”! The words were uttered by the boxer Muhammed Ali in 1979 and have been my guiding light over the past 20 years

Invest in people, the returns are invaluable. Build a network that you can draw from for professional and personal needs

Learning is a life-long process, keep at it!

Live, do not just exist!

Lastly always be in competition with yourself. Your personal aim should be to do better, than the you yesterday, a year ago or 10 years ago.

 

This International Women’s Day, what is the message that you would like to give out to young women who aspire to break the glass ceiling?

I come from a very lean family structure, I remember passing number 5 in grade 4 and everyone ahead of me was a boy. I remember the conversation vividly with an uncle of mine who asked me why I allowed myself to be surpassed by the other 4! That conversation stuck with me and those that I went to school with will confirm, I have always strived and stayed in the top 3 bracket. In spaces where I have no inspiration, I tell myself that I owe it to the next young person (irrespective of gender) to create a source of inspiration.

Celebrating Women in CSR – Kafula Kutontonkanya

As we commemorate Women’s Month, we continue our series of “Celebrating Women in CSR“, to appreciate the achievements of women and inspire all of us under the theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, with yet another interview of Kafula Kutontonkanya, the Business Development Lead, Community Affairs Department of FQML Trident in Kalumbila.


What is your background and how did you get into CSR?

My educational journey so far has been in Banking and Finance at undergraduate level and Business Entrepreneurship at postgraduate level. My career begun at the Lusaka Stock Exchange; a real eye opener for the next six (6) years of my life that would be spent in the Corporate Banking arm of one of Africa’s leading commercial banks. In this role, my business development acumen was stimulated as I regularly went above and beyond my job description to offer financial and business management advice to clients at the Bank. Because of this, when the opportunity to take on a business development role as part of the Community Affairs department of FQM Trident Limited in Kalumbila came my way, I took it! And what an interesting time it has been! Over the last one (1) and a half years, I have had to make a drastic transition from being a Corporate Banker managing multi-national business accounts, to helping people in the most remote parts of the country with setting up, scaling up and sustaining their business. My role is a perfect fit as I have had to use my business and financial background to assess and help develop practical business solutions for the small businesses in our community.

Additionally, being a certified trainer for the “Start and Improve Your Business” training module under the International Labor Organization (ILO) program facilitated by Accelerated Growth for SMEs (AGS), has helped me share and deliver business information in a more simplified way that can be easily understood by MSMEs.

What are you passionate about in your work?

I love working with small businesses, I have always loved that. The goal is to ensure that every small business I engage understands the principles that surround business and what it takes to not only become investor-ready but self-reliant as well. To be honest, I never saw myself having a role to play in CSR, at all. In my mind, CSR was an exercise of scheduled donations for image building for a company or brand. Joining the Trident Foundation team has drastically changed my perception on this. Trident Foundation has created the space for me to use my skills, experience and networks to share business knowledge that promotes sustainable income generation. I am passionate about making a difference and having an impact. Being able to see families fend for themselves and have the dignity of work rather than waiting for handouts is a big motivator to keep on doing what we do at TFL.

Could you share one or two challenges you have experienced in your career around CSR and how you overcame them?

Dependency on the Mine – Working in an environment that hosts one of the largest copper mines in Zambia has seen quite a number of challenges with the major one being dependency on the Mine for business contracts and jobs. Whilst the Mine may be the most attractive option/target for small business houses, low-hanging opportunities that surround the Mine’s operations are often missed. This challenge has not been overcome as it is on-going but I do ensure that whenever I have a chance to engage businesses seeking direct opportunities to the Mine, I make mention of other indirect trickle-down benefits that are available as a result of the Mine’s presence.

Cultural barriers – Coming from a culture that is different from the predominant one in North-Western Province, I have encountered a few challenges with communicating effectively to some community members and fully understanding the culture and beliefs. For instance, I learnt that in the Lunda culture (where I’m working) a younger person cannot say “Hello, how are you doing?” to an older person as it is considered disrespectful. You instead request for the older person to greet you, “Ankoleshi Mwane” meaning “Please greet me”. I have slowly learnt a few basic phrases for greetings and showing appreciation, and my hope is to continue to learn more as I engage with the community. My organization has gone a step further to publish an internal cultural awareness handbook to assist with bridging the cultural gap.

What has been the biggest challenge you faced in your work during COVID19? How did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge was not being able to host trainings and capacity building programs. We had to postpone and cancel a lot of programs that required physical community engagement. Working in a rural set-up makes it even more challenging because the community in which we operate is not fully conversant with technological tools and platforms.

With a reduction in Covid-19 cases, we have resumed our capacity building programs whilst still adhering to official state health guidelines. Our Trident Health team has done an amazing job in creating awareness on issues surrounding Covid-19 and this has helped with implementation of local business support programs in the community.

What can we do to empower more women to come to the CSR forefront and lead the social and/or environmental impact?

There is a need to encourage more women to take up leadership positions not only in CSR but all sectors. Women are known to be caring in nature and have better foresight when handling complex tasks. Professional trainings, skills development and mentorship programs are required to ensure that women are equipped with the necessary skill-set to handle respective lead positions be it in CSR or other fields, including but not limited to handling social and/or environmental issues.

Inviting more women to participate in information sharing events also provides a good base to gather knowledge and learn from the experience of those in different or similar sectors. This on its own is empowerment as well because the networking platforms open up new business relationships that are meaningful to stakeholders and help implementation of CSR activities without having to reinvent the wheel.

What is one thing you wish you had been told when you were starting out that you know now?

That it is not always about working hard but working smart also. Hard work on its own may not guarantee success but working smart most definitely gives you an edge.

What advice would you give to a woman starting her career or involvement in CSR today?

Don’t assume that you know everything. Sometimes academic theories may not work in certain situations and you may need to rely on “logical” instinct. Intuition comes to play a lot in the field of CSR because most times the beneficiaries of this support may not be able to understand certain global standards or international practices. It is our duty to break this down to a comprehensible level without undermining the beneficiaries. The satisfaction of seeing communities develop in a sustainable way due to your involvement in improving their lives is immeasurable!

This International Women’s Day, what is the message that you would like to give out to young women who aspire to break the glass ceiling?

Step up and Step out. The first step to breaking the glass ceiling is realizing that there is no glass ceiling. Women have to step up in the sense that we can no longer afford to continue waiting on activists and women’s movements to give us the opportunities that we want and deserve. We have to step up to challenges and provide real solutions that make us relevant to our spheres and earn us a seat at the table. We have to step up in the sense that opportunity is not going to come where we are, we have got to step out and take it!

There is a saying that goes “The comfort zone is a great place to be…the problem is, nothing ever grows there”. Stepping out for me, has meant challenging preconceived ideas that I had about my education, experience and career path. An education should not be a prison that confines you but a platform that promotes you. I challenge all women to step out of their comfort zones and step into the world of the unfamiliar, because that is where progress lives!

 

Celebrating Women in CSR – Selina Nyirenda Kanyuka

We continue our series of “Celebrating Women in CSR“, to celebrate the achievements of women and inspire all of us under the theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, with yet another interview of Selina Nyirenda Kanyuka, the Community Liaison Officer from Munali Nickel Mine operated by Mabiza Resources Limited.


What is your background and how did you get into CSR?

My names are Selina Nyirenda Kanyuka, currently working for Mabiza Resources Limited operators of Munali Nickel Mine as Community Liaison Officer. I currently acquired my master’s in environmental management with my thesis focusing on Sustainability practices and Corporate Social Responsibility in manufacturing industries. I have been into CSR for close to 8 years now, with experience from both the private and public sector.

What are you passionate about in your work?

I’m very passionate about social interactions within local communities and creating a memorable impact on their lives. Community engagement and stakeholder consultancy is key for me as it helps strengthen relations between ourselves and various stakeholders particularly the community. For instance, in 2021, the mine through stakeholder engagement was able to facilitate for two student teachers from the UK that conducted a reading project at Munsangu Primary and Secondary School, a local school, donated a sum of K100,000 and in excess of 200 reading books to the school. The K100,000 was contributed towards the construction of a girl’s hostel at the school.

 

Could you share one or two challenges you have experienced in your career around CSR and how you overcame them?

The Challenge of unforeseen costs and high implementation costs that arise during or before execution of projects or initiatives.

This has been overcome by simply increasing the budget for CSR projects for the year 2022 and an allocation of emerging opportunities was introduced alongside the main budget. Emerging opportunities cater for eventualities that were not planned for in the budgets. These two budget allocations have reduced on the delay of implementation of CSR initiatives due to high costs or the risk of projects being abandoned mid-way.

 

What has been the biggest challenge you faced in your work during COVID19? How did you overcome it?

Covid-19 has not spared any organization. Most CSR activities at Munali Nickel mine had to be slowed down. Physical interactions in the community were briefly stopped at the increase of the pandemic.  However, the company has proactively engaged in various CSR activities, particularly in the fight against COVID-19 such as donating of face masks, sanitizers, and disinfectants to local schools. CSR activities have since been carefully evaluated prioritizing which activities can be undertaken with strict guidelines being followed.

 

What can we do to empower more women to come to the CSR forefront and lead the social and/or environmental impact?

There is need to invest more in women empowerment programs within local communities. Intensifying more on sensitizations and encouraging women to break free from their traditional roles and gender stereotyping.

 

What is one thing you wish you had been told when you were starting out that you know now?

In community service, its not just the big leaps that count. I wish I knew that It’s not just big steps or rather projects that will create a big impact on the community.  Now I have come to realize that small steps have the power to make big changes. What we deem as little and meaningless steps create an impact on some individual out there.

 

What advice would you give to a woman starting her career or involvement in CSR today?

Develop CSR initiatives that relate to the challenges and needs of the community. Ensure the initiatives are attainable.

 

This International Women’s Day, what is the message that you would like to give out to young women who aspire to break the glass ceiling?

For every woman that wants to do exploits, believe in yourself.  You can do more than you think. Don’t let anyone or any surrounding situation limit or define you.

Celebrating Women in CSR – Rhoda Daka

We continue our series of “Celebrating Women in CSR“, to celebrate the achievements of women and inspire all of us under the theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, with an interview of Rhoda Daka, the CSR Superintedent from Lubambe Copper Mine.


What is your background and how did you get into CSR?

I am a holder of Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Sciences from the University of Zambia, with 18 years working experience in community related work, 9 years of which I have served the Communities under Lubambe Copper Mine.

I started my work career with an NGO called Zambia Children Education Foundation in 2000 where I was employed as a Community Mobiliser, thereafter I joined Lubambe Copper Mine in 2012 as an Assistant Community Liaison Officer where I served diligently, that by 2014 I was elevated to Community Liaison Officer. In 2016 I was promoted to CSR Superintendent the position I hold to date.

I got into CSR after I reacted to the Job advert in the national newspaper in which the Mine needed the services of an Assistant Community Liaison Officer

What are you passionate about in your work?

I am passionate about helping the disadvantaged attain an improved economic status in life, because I understand what it means to lack basic necessities

 

Could you share one or two challenges you have experienced in your career around CSR and how you overcame them?

Managing community expectations and Community Over dependency on the mine.

 

What has been the biggest challenge you faced in your work during COVID19? How did you overcome it?

Failure by Community members to adhere to Covid 19 protocols, eg coming for a meeting without a mask

We moved with masks in our bags to distribute to community members attending meetings without masking up

 

What can we do to empower more women to come to the CSR forefront and lead the social and/or environmental impact?

  • Expose more women to empowerment strategies
  • Educating a girl child and supporting fellow women
  • Advocating for women colleagues

 

What is one thing you wish you had been told when you were starting out that you know now?

That a successful CSR must be lady-driven.

 

What advice would you give to a woman starting her career or involvement in CSR today?

There is no limit to what we can accomplish as woman once we put our mind to it. We are the real architects of our communities. Find something you are passionate about and hold on to it and I can assure you that not even the sky will be the limit!

 

This International Women’s Day, what is the message that you would like to give out to young women who aspire to break the glass ceiling?

My encouragement is that, let us believe in ourselves more. Let us be confident in the decisions that we make. It helps to have a variety of mentors both male and female. Also, as women let us stop competing against each other, let every woman know her worth and be proud of it. Let us create a network of women so that we may encourage and cheer each other on. Let us step out of our comfort zone, promote ourselves and strategies to succeed.

Celebrating Women in CSR – Pamela Chanda

We continue our series of “Celebrating Women in CSR“, to celebrate the achievements of women and inspire all of us under the theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, with an interview of Pamela Chanda, from First Quantum Minerals Ltd, Kansanshi Mining Plc.


 

What is your background and how did you get into CSR?

My name is Pamela Chanda, Gender Officer, Kansanshi Mining Plc. I have been working for Kansanshi Mining Plc since 2010 initially employed as Front Office Secretary under Public Relations. My CSR debut began with running a community grievance data entry system and attending to community queries from various stakeholders and directing them to the right officers to attend to them, the stakeholders included job seekers, Community Leaders, Traditional leaders, SMEs seeking procurement opportunities. My entry into mainstream CSR was when the CSR team sought to implement a girls’ menstrual hygiene and mentorship program known as JIMUKA, a Kaonde word which means ‘be clever’ it is a programme that targets  female scholars and encourages them to stay in school, make them aware of femininity, gender based violence ‘red flags’ teen pregnancies and various challenges facing adolescent girls. The program proved to be a success and like they say ‘the rest is history’.

 

What are you passionate about in your work?

I am passionate about the well-being of girls and women. What drives me is the transformation that I see in these people’s lives. My motivation in CSR work stems from what I see in the communities such as needy people that are assisted and information gaps that are filled through sensitization programmes. I am glad to be part of the team that shows the ‘human face’ of the company to the general public.

 

Could you share one or two challenges you have experienced in your career around CSR and how you overcame them?

The challenge I faced was changing people’s perception of me in my new role in the Gender office, I just made sure that I delivered on the tasks that were set before me and had to learn and unlearn certain things in order to do my work better. I did a lot of consulting from more experienced colleagues in community work and relied on my Supervisors guidance, today I am proud to say I am enjoying my work.

 

What has been the biggest challenge you faced in your work during COVID19? How did you overcome it?

Being a person dealing with the public it was difficult to carry out community outreaches and sensitisaton programs. I did some radio discussion programs and radio drama on cross-cutting issues in gender mainstreaming, held fewer physical meetings with small groups in the community whilst observing COVID Guidelines.

 

What can we do to empower more women to come to the CSR forefront and lead the social and/or environmental impact?

We need to raise more awareness about the opportunities that are available to women when they take the lead in initiatives that will improve their well-being in terms of social and environmental impacts because they are the most affected when these issues arise in their communities.

 

What is one thing you wish you had been told when you were starting out that you know now?

I wish I knew how much more reading and learning I have to do to keep up with the trends.

 

What advice would you give to a woman starting her career or involvement in CSR today?

Have an open minded approach, be passionate, be patient as change of mindsets takes a little bit of time, the community do not easily forget, so be mindful how you interact with them as you leave a lasting impression on them, in addition to this, its important to know the community’s attitude and strengths and be all embracing.

 

This International Women’s Day, what is the message that you would like to give out to young women who aspire to break the glass ceiling?

My message to the Women is that we live in a world full of opportunities, all they need to do, is begin to discover and harness their hidden talents and potential and convert them into opportunities to empower themselves in order to lead a more fulfilled life.

Celebrating Women in CSR – Amanda Frankel

As part of International Women’s Month to celebrate the achievements of women and inspire all of us under the theme “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”, we kickstart the 2022 series of interviews with Amanda Frankel,  founder of Okodwela, an organisation that is providing housing, education, and clean water to communities in Livingstone.


What is your background and how did you get into CSR?

I previously worked with domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking survivors for the 10 years and hold a master’s degree in Forensic Psychology. I have also traveled to 20+ countries for personal, educational, and career related experiences. I have also had an interest in providing assistance to enhance human welfare and in 2019, discovered additional happiness in taking it to a global level by forming the American not-for-profit organization, Okodwela, serving Livingstone, Zambia and then in 2021 the NGO, Okodwela Zambia.

What are you passionate about in your work?

I am truly passionate about enhancing human welfare and happiness. Through my extensive time spent with vulnerable populations and communities, I’ve discovered that happiness starts at home. That safe homes, clean water, economic stability, and education can provide the basis for a happy life and these components provide for an overall happy home. Through my work, I seek to enhance happy, thriving communities.

Could you share one or two challenges you have experienced in your career around CSR and how you overcame them?

One of the biggest challenges I have experienced throughout my career would be finding continuous funding to sustain Okodwela’s projects of building secure homes, supporting education, and creating employment opportunities. To overcome this on-going challenge, I continue to network around the world and within our community to find new, innovate ways to fundraise. By finding like-minded individuals, companies, etc. that find alliance in our mission, helps to provide support for our projects. I also try to create and involve community members in helping to create programs to teach skills, train, and employ them in various entrepreneurship opportunities to not only receive income for themselves, but to generate income for additional projects within the organization. This method not only contributes to sustainability of the organization, but promotes empowerment of those involved.

What has been the biggest challenge you faced in your work during COVID19? How did you overcome it?

The last two years have been the most challenging in terms of funding for resources to sustain Okodwela Zambia’s projects, as the entire world has been affected by the pandemic of COVID19. When schools were closed, some of the most difficult times were to see the children and adult students continue to express their strong desire to continue to learn. Through the power of community, we came together to find creative ways to continue educating the students outside of the classroom to ensure a minimal gap in their education. This was made possible through the community and various supporters of other CSR members.

What can we do to empower more women to come to the CSR forefront and lead the social and/or environmental impact?

We as women need to continue to remind not only ourselves, but each other, that we too have a place at the table. That our voices, our ideas, our input is just as valuable as the next. We should continue to push forward and never accept no for an answer. Continue to utilize our compassion, empathy, knowledge, and experience, amongst many other qualities we possess to make impact in the community.

What is one thing you wish you had been told when you were starting out that you know now?

“Your intentions may not always be seen for what they truly are.” This may have been the single hardest lesson I have learned and still am learning today. I believe my intentions are pure…to create happy homes, provide support where needed, and enhance human welfare. Unfortunately, there have been situations in the past where others have mistreated opportunities to do such in the field which has then left a negative stereotype for those with pure intentions to do good. I do not let this stop me from continuing my work, yet I do allow it to drive me to work harder and continue to be my authentic self.

What advice would you give to a woman starting her career or involvement in CSR today?

No matter what project or career you are starting, educate yourself as best as possible. IF its working with a community, get to the know the community. Spend time with its members, what it’s like to live a day in their shoes. Don’t speak for anyone, yet speak alongside them. Empower the vulnerable to stand alongside you, not behind you.

This International Women’s Day, what is the message that you would like to give out to young women who aspire to break the glass ceiling?

Follow your passion. Follow your heart. Follow your gut. For every no you are told, try again 5 more times and more. All it takes is one yes to change everything!

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