Education and Training

Employee Training

With the lack of qualified and experienced mining personnel in Sierra Leone, the Company has had to educate, train and equip its workforce with the necessary skills in order to meet the challenges of vertical pit mining. Apart from standard mining skills, the civil engineering aspects of this type of mining demand high levels of accuracy in support installation and strict quality control.

At present, the Company employs approximately 600 people, the majority of which fall into the mining, metallurgy and administration departments.

Koidu Holdings has established a training programme where employees are provided with hands-on training, as well as formal lessons on various aspects, ranging from safety precautions, current mining practices, production management and data capturing, to health care and family planning.

For those functions where specialist training is required, individuals are enrolled in training courses outside of the country or in Freetown. For example, blasting training is done in Ghana, banks men and health and safety training in South Africa, and computer education in Freetown. Operator trainers are sent to Volvo in Sweden for training.


Chief Training Officer on Volvo training course in Sweden	Assistant surveyor learning to operate survey equipment	Drill and Blast Foreman trained by AEL in Ghana

Training testimonial

Abdul Rahman Shaw (pictured above) is one of many nationals that have benefited from the Company's training scheme:

"I was employed by Koidu Holdings as a driver about two years ago. In 2007, I was sent to Sweden by the Company on a two week training programme. During this period, I learnt a lot about machines I have never seen before. The training was so enriching that my performance improved drastically. Within a short time, I was promoted to Mine Training Officer, a job that involves among other duties training drivers and operators of all sorts of machines. Before joining Koidu Holdings, I worked with Sierra Rutile, Sieromco, SALCOST and CSE but what I get at the end of the month in Koidu Holdings is unmatched. Working for this company has been a real blessing. I am sure today I am an example to my colleagues. The progress I have made within a short period of time is a demonstration of what hard work can do, and how much this company is prepared to do to capacitate us. It is yet a young Company but from what I have seen, I am sure it is going to get bigger and better."

Local School Initiatives


School children awarded scholarships	Refurbished school - Ansarul Boys Secondary School

Koidu Holdings is committed to improving the quality of education of children in Koidu. To date, we have assisted in the refurbishment of the UMC Girls School, the SDA primary School and have rebuilt the Ansarul Boys Secondary School. Donations for refurbishment of the Koidu Secondary School, and the Yengema Secondary School have also been made. In addition, Koidu Holdings provides financial assistance annually to the Kono Students Union.

An education programme was initiated in the beginning of the 2004 school year. A total of 150 secondary school children have been awarded scholarships, where all tuition fees and books are paid for by the Company until they are finished school and the scholarship is then transferred to another pupil.

Words of thanks from recipients of scholarships

My name is Fatmata Jalloh age 19. I am in SSS II Commercial at ISSK. After my success in the BECE, I was awarded the Koidu Holdings Scholarship for the 2006/7 academic year. As it comes to an end, I can only hope that the company extends it. I shall forever remain grateful to Koidu Holdings for such a wonderful gesture.

David S. Conteh is my name, age 20. I am in SSS II commercial at ISSK. I was awarded the Koidu Holdings Scholarship for the 2006/7academic year. This award could not have come at a better time. But for this scholarship, I would have been a drop out. However, that this scholarship is coming to an end is a very big concern for me. I therefore want to appeal to the Company to extend it for at least one more year.

My name is Mariama Baimba, I am 17 years old. I am in SS2 Science at Koidu Girls Secondary School. In 2006 when I was awarded the Koidu Holdings, my family was very happy because at the time, my parents did not have means of paying my fees. As we come to the end of our scholarships, am getting worried because I know it is going to be the end of my schooling. I am therefore appealing to the company to extend the scholarship beyond its current duration and also to increase the number of scholarships as there are a lot of our colleagues out there who are really struggling.

I am Elizabeth Gbandawa, 19 years old. I am currently in SS2 at the Koidu Secondary School (KSS). I am very thankful for what Koidu Holdings did for me. At a time when I was out of school with my sister because our father was sick, the company did not only award us a year's scholarship, but it also contributed 20,000 Leones to the purchase of our uniforms. The end of the scholarship is going to be the end of hope of been educated. I come from a very poor family and I am going to school now at the expense of my younger brothers and sisters who have to stay home so that I can get education. I know most people are not happy with the Company but I think Koidu Holdings is a good company

Isaac A Thomas is my name, aged 20. I am an SS 2 student in the Science stream at the Koidu Secondary School (KSS). I appreciate the scholarship very much and I hope the Company will continue to help us. On development, the company has done fairly well, but I am sure they can do better than that.

My name is Jedida Jimissa, I am 18 years old currently in SS2 Commerce at the Koidu Girls Secondary School. I will always be grateful to Koidu Holdings for what it did for me. Some of us are from very poor families and there is no way our parents can afford to pay our fees so we rely heavily on the company. So now that the Scholarship has come to an end, our hopes of ever achieving our dreams are gone with it. From what I have seen, I know this company is doing well for our people.