Having around six hectares of heavy-duty paving to lay was transformed from a challenge to an opportunity for job creation by Bridge Shipping in Ndola. The first challenge facing Bridge in the paving of its new multi-modal facility in Ndola was that there were no local manufacturers capable of meeting the specifications for heavy-duty paving bricks capable of handling fully laden trucks and containers. Instead of transporting the blocks from Lusaka it was decided to open a block-making plant on the site and to create job opportunities for local women, says Bridge Shipping Zambia managing director Chris Chipimo. Women were recruited from a nearby township. Working two shifts of 15 workers at a time they are producing over six thousand blocks a day, according to site manager Lloyd Mangwane. All the women were previously unemployed and were “trained from scratch” to produce the blocks, which have passed quality tests in South Africa, he says. The shift system has been tailored to meet the needs of the women, most of whom have children at home. INSERT & CAPTION Instead of transporting the blocks from Lusaka it was decided to open a blockmaking plant on the site. “– Chris Chipimo CAPTION Stacking newly made bricks for Bridge are Christabel Changwe (left) and Maureen Mwape.
