On the one hand it seems strange…on the other, when Afro-cynicism kicks
in and then it’s par for the course, that in a mineral rich country
like Zambia there’s nowhere for aspiring jewelers to learn their
trade. Up until recently that is… Now a man like Kennedy Siwakwe
(42) who for 15 years has been making jewelry on the Copperbelt
using hand-made and manual tools can “upgrade my job” by attending
the intensive 5 month course offered by the WSM Goldsmith Training
Centre in the Lusaka Showgrounds.
Brain-child of the vivacious and dedicated Dr. Candy Marandola, the WSM
Centre is registered with TEVETA (Technical Education Vocational
Entrepeneur Training Authority) and provides successful students
with a recognized qualification in jewelry making. Outfitted with
second hand tool machinery sourced all over Europe, Candy and her
associate Luciano Scarpa, opened the Centre’s doors for the first
time early this year with 8 students currently enrolled and Kennedy
is delighted to be able to use electronic tool machinery for the
first time in his life.
Candy first came to Zambia as a child in the early 70’s with her
father, also a Doctor, who did a stint at the Urology Dept. at UTH
and bought a farm in Chisamba. One university degree in gemology
later plus a Doctoral thesis on Zambian gem stones and Candy was loaded for bear. In ’99 she
worked with geologist Dr. Mdala at UNZA on a Forum 2000 Mining
project on Gemology and the EU funded Mining Sector Development
Programme (MSDP) in 2001/2 which saw 100 students graduating from 4
eight-week goldsmithing courses. That project has ended but the tool
machinery is still “sitting at UNZA”.
Given her frustrations with the temporary nature of funding, Candy
opened the Centre privately but funding is still urgently
needed…”mainly to sponsor needy students and to buy ‘the rough’ for
students to work with” As it stands the bulk of the K7,500,000 that it costs each student
for the WSM course goes on the purchase of ‘rough’. An additional
income generating option for the Centre is the “making, cleaning and
repair of jewelry to international standards” and this is where the
40 year’s of experience of Luciano comes to the fore.
Candy also assists in placing her students on successful completion of
the course ”at this stage there are two local jewelry manufacturers
showing interest in our course and students” And so it is for 21
year old Dalal Zaher who seems to have a job lined up after the
course. Other students like Linda Sikufweba (20) and Olivia Sulima
(19) see the WSM course as a stepping stone to something bigger as
both want to go on to university to further study jewelry design.
Brendan Kandala (42) is enjoying the course and wants to make
beautiful things out of “all the gems in Zambia”. Cuthbert Milambo
(32) reckons he’ll work for himself once he qualifies and Fabio
Panicco (22) just enjoys working with his hands even though the
first two weeks of the course were “killing” as his fingers were
sore.
Candy hopes to have an exhibition of her students work in August.
April
2007
Brain-child of the vivacious and dedicated Dr. Candy Marandola, the WSM
Centre is registered with TEVETA (Technical Education Vocational
Entrepeneur Training Authority) and provides successful students
with a recognized qualification in jewelry making. Outfitted with
second hand tool machinery sourced all over Europe, Candy and her
associate Luciano Scarpa, opened the Centre’s doors for the first
time early this year with 8 students currently enrolled and Kennedy
is delighted to be able to use electronic tool machinery for the
first time in his life.
Candy also assists in placing her students on successful completion of
the course ”at this stage there are two local jewelry manufacturers
showing interest in our course and students” And so it is for 21
year old Dalal Zaher who seems to have a job lined up after the
course. Other students like Linda Sikufweba (20) and Olivia Sulima
(19) see the WSM course as a stepping stone to something bigger as
both want to go on to university to further study jewelry design.
Brendan Kandala (42) is enjoying the course and wants to make
beautiful things out of “all the gems in Zambia”. Cuthbert Milambo
(32) reckons he’ll work for himself once he qualifies and Fabio
Panicco (22) just enjoys working with his hands even though the
first two weeks of the course were “killing” as his fingers were
sore.