Diamond Firms To Bankroll Zimbabwe Farmer Training
http://www.israelidiamond.co.il
06.01.13, 10:59
Zimbabwean diamond company Mbada has committed to find funding for job
training for dozens of families who were displaced by the firm’s mining
activities in the Marange region, All Africa reports. According to the terms
of the deal, Mbada will ensure an annual payout of $100,000, while the
Zimbabwe Farmers Union will provide training in sustainable agriculture so
that the families can once again become self-sufficient.
The families had to leave their homes three years ago after alluvial
diamonds were found in their immediate vicinity. They were resettled at a
transit camp, but without any means of sustenance, they have been relying on
charity for their survival. Mbada corporate services executive George
Manyaya said that the retraining program is preferable to maintaining the
dependency of the affected families.
The Zimbabwe Farmers Union said that it is also in talks with other major
diamond companies in Zimbabwe to convince them that retraining programs are
the best way to resolve the unfortunate situation, according to All Africa.