Barrick Gold Corporation has said through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is executing an empowerment programme for which entrepreneurs in 14 villages surrounding the mining will benefit.

Through its CSR initiatives, Barrick has been enabling entrepreneurs within its vicinity by providing training on practising sustainable entrepreneurship as well as bankrolling their entrepreneurial initiatives.

The government in collaboration with various stakeholders has been hard at work to mitigate this through various innovative initiatives that have further spearheaded the growth of sustainable entrepreneurial practices amongst Tanzanians.

It is with this regard that Barrick Company has taken the initiative to support the government's efforts and encourage the growth of entrepreneurship within the community in which it operates through its CSR initiatives.

One of the entrepreneurs Bugarama village in Shinyanga Region, Clementina Felix said for many years, women in her village have been facing financial challenges.

However, she said ever since Barrick started helping and bankrolling the entrepreneurship initiatives they have now experienced financial freedom whereas they are now practising entrepreneurship through modern farming and animal husbandry.

"We used to practice agriculture and animal husbandry without the appropriate skills for agro-business and we ended up with no profits, so we are grateful for Barrick for introducing a programme that aims to support economic initiatives of more than 200 residents in the villages surrounding the mining," she said.

On her part, another beneficiary of Barrick's CSR program, Berita Nyawanga, a resident of Mwiguru ward where the mining company has its CSR foot, commended Barrick and urged the company to continue supporting entrepreneurs in the areas especially women and youths who are highly affected by the rate of unemployment.

Community Manager for Barrick at the Bulyanhulu mine, Anthony Sebastian said the mining company is implementing the programme to empower entrepreneurs as part of its CSR in the vicinity surrounding the mine, adding that they are keen to improve the welfare of the people surrounding the mine by giving them entrepreneurial skills as well as educating them on best practices for modern agriculture and animal husbandry.

We are of the view that entrepreneurship, agriculture and animal husbandry can provide employment as well as improve people economic welfare, and this is why we created this program that would enable people from various wards surrounding the mine to benefit, he said.

He noted that to ensure that the programme is sustainable, the mining company has been sponsoring entrepreneurship training every week whereas villagers would gather and attend training facilitated by specialists in entrepreneurship on how to effectively conduct their economic activities and for those who practice agricultural activities also given fertilizer and seeds.

Copyright Tanzania Daily News. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com)., source News Service English