By Gloria Mbwana
There is need for Malawi to prioritise training of its artisanal and small scale miners to get necessary expertise to execute the trade if the country is to realise adequate benefits from the subsector.
This was the observation made by a local trainer for ASMs Chikomeni Manda during a gemstone dealing training workshop in Lilongwe.
“Malawi has a lot of gemstones but most miners lack knowledge in dealing with these precious stones, so building the knowledge and skills in the miners is the way the country must take to develop this subsector,” said Manda.
He appealed for funding from well-wishers such as donors and the corporate world to sponsor such training sessions for local ASMs, which, he observed, can also be one way of addressing illegal mining which is rampant in the country as most ASMs are ignorant of legally accepted procedures to execute the trade.
Manda said the training sessions are important because almost in all the districts Malawi has precious minerals.
“The subsector needs a powerful knowledge base especially for women who are dominant so we need a donor partner to support us in providing hands on training in mining, value addition, and gemology,” said Manda.
Co-facilitator Jephter Ngwira, commented that the idea of organizing the training came into play after observing that many ASMs are not benefitting from the trade because of lack of knowledge on how to grade stones.
The workshop attracted 19 participants from Mzuzu, Mzimba, Blantyre Mchinji and Lilongwe.
Visit our website for a wealth of information on tiny house design, planning, and more!