Chiyaya, which is about 19 kilometers southeast of Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia, has witnessed tremendous development and shaken off poverty since the China National Building Material Group Co., Ltd. (CNBM) built the Zambia Industrial Park there in May 2015.
The CNBM-built Zambia Industrial Park has become a reliable source of high-quality construction materials like cement, sandstone and concrete for the African country, facilitating the building of its infrastructure.
An aerial photo of the CNBM-built Zambia Industrial Park in Zambia [Photo provided by CNBM]
A correct decision to support the building of the CNBM Zambia Industrial Park
Chiyaya was a marginalized Zambian village with an area of 400 hectares and 63 households.
The CNBM construction team held several meetings with local farmers, talked with them about the potential benefits brought by the proposed industrial park, and won the support from local people.
The industrial park formally came into use in July 2018. At present, it has built several production lines of cement, concrete, bricks and other construction materials under the principles of green development and ecological conservation.
Over the past few years, the industrial park has contributed 70 million yuan (US$ 9.6 million) in tax revenue to the Zambian government and created lots of employment opportunities for local people.
A tribal leader said in an interview that she was delighted to make the initial decision to support the construction of the industrial park and that the CNBM has delivered all its promises to the Zambian people.
Build a standard school and clinic for the Zambian people
Before the arrival of the CNBM, both the school and clinic at Chiyaya village were in very poor condition and could not guarantee the access of local people to education and health services.
Therefore, John Daka, senior headman of the village, sought out the Chinese construction workers and hoped they would agree to the request for assistance.
Chinese medical team holds a free medical screening for the Zambian people living around the CNBM-built Zambia Industrial Park. [Photo provided by CNBM]
It took the Chinese construction workers about five months to build a new school and clinic, with a total investment of 881.12 million yuan (US$ 1.21 million). The facilities comprise five classrooms, a 711-square meter hospital, offices and dormitories for teachers and medical workers, and other supporting facilities.
The newly-built school and hospital have deeply impressed local people, especially teenage students, and won great recognition from them.
The CNBM-built Zambia Industrial Park holds a donation ceremony for medical supplies to aid the Zambian people in their fight against HIV/AIDS. [Photo provided by CNBM]
Additionally, the Chinese construction workers have sent textbooks, teaching equipment and two sets of laptops to the school, and built a nearly 10-kilometer-long road for the village.
Daka said that the Chinese-built road has shortened their travel time from the village to Lusaka and improved the transport condition for local students to go to school on rainy days.
Since the completion of the industrial park, the Zambian people have seen a dramatic improvement to their wellbeing and are deeply grateful to the Chinese builders for the positive changes in their lives.
(Executive editor: Wang Ruoting)
