Community Voices

10 first-person narratives from people living along the corridor. Their stories are the foundation of our work.

The Miner's Wife: Living with Artisanal Cobalt in Kolwezi
A woman in Kolwezi describes the daily reality of depending on artisanal cobalt mining.
Displaced: When the Railway Came to Bel Air
A family displaced by railway construction describes losing their home and navigating compensation.
The Train Driver: 30 Years on the Benguela Line
A veteran locomotive driver reflects on the railway's destruction, rebuilding, and future.
A Teacher in Fungurume: Mining's Promise and Reality
A teacher describes how mining affects education, health, and daily life in a mining community.
The Port Worker: Lobito's Transformation
A port worker in Lobito describes the city's transformation through corridor investment.
Child of the Copperbelt: Growing Up in Mufulira
Growing up in a Zambian mining town: opportunity, pollution, and the corridor's promise.
The Trader: How Transport Costs Changed Everything
A cross-border trader explains how logistics costs determine profitability and community prosperity.
Fighting for Land: A Community Leader in Kolwezi
A community leader describes advocating for land rights against mining expansion and railway construction.
The Engineer: Building Zambia's New Railway
An engineer on the Zambia extension project describes building Africa's newest railway.
Women in ASM: Cobalt, Survival, and Dignity
Women who wash and sort cobalt describe their work, challenges, and hopes for formalisation.