Kagem develops bright young geologist

FOR 27-year-old University of Zambia graduate Jimmy Manenga, landing a job at the world’s largest emerald mine was a dream come true.
The young geologist is now working alongside some of the leading experts in the world at the Kagem emerald mine in Lufwanyama, and reflecting the company’s commitment to growing local talent in the sector.
“I love the environment here and I am really applying myself. I work with in a well-co-ordinated group – which values teamwork. Whenever we come to the pit we sit at the viewpoint and plan for the day. The work is executed collaboratively – we plan together, then we work together.
“My favourite part of the work day is when we are finding emeralds, but I also love developing the pit,” added Jimmy. As a geologist, Jimmy’s job is to locate minerals within the mine, in this case emeralds, and assess them to see if they are a high enough quality to be mined.
The geologist is an alumnus of the University of Zambia with a Bachelor of Mineral Science in Geology degree. He was chosen after a rigorous interview process where he beat eight other candidates for a job with Kagem, which is owned by London-based Gemfields in partnership with the Zambian government.
Kagem’s Head of Human Resources, Gibson Banda explained: “We are taking a positive future outlook by investing in young professionals to ensure the continuity of smooth operations for years to come. Kagem is also currently running a scholarship programme with two of the country’s most respected learning institutions, University of Zambia and Copperbelt University, in the mining engineering and geology fields.”
Jimmy explained how he came to a career in geology: “From high school onwards I was always knew I would pursue either medicine or geology. A team of students visited us from the University of Zambia and I met this guy – now a geologist at one of Zambia’s foremost copper mining companies – who really motivated me. Geology is adventurous; you get to move in the bush during exploration times and interact with a lot of people. I love that.”
“I first heard about Kagem in university from one of my lecturers and I found the emerald mining business very interesting. From then on, I vowed to work for Kagem and when I got the opportunity I knew I had to do my best to get the job,” he said.
After less than a year working at the mine, Jimmy has discovered what it takes to work in the gemstone mining sector and is not shy to admit that it has been a learning curve. “I was amazed to learn that to recover 1 gram of emerald, about 8,000 tonnes of rock has to be removed. That’s the equivalent of about 270 truckloads of rock to recover one gram of emerald!”
“I was an intern for the first three months and I discovered work on the ground is different from what you learn in class. I was lucky to have a mentor who helped me adjust to the job.”
Jimmy now feels at home with Kagem and thoroughly enjoys his role.
Besides locating and assessing minerals, Jimmy advises the miners on how best to extract the emeralds from the rocks, spending a considerable amount of his work day in the mining pit.
Outside his job Jimmy is a family man he and his wife recently welcomed a daughter. He is also an avid soccer fan and particularly loves Nchanga Rangers and Power Dynamos football teams.
(Story and image by Langmead & Baker Ltd)

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