19/09/2026
Young Miners Foundation Concludes Landmark Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment Training in Bindura
BINDURA, MASHONALAND CENTRAL — Over the years, the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector has suffered the heartbreaking, unnecessary loss of far too many young lives to preventable site accidents. Reversing this tragic trend requires a fundamental shift: bridging the gap between informal extraction and professional, structured business management.
Addressing this critical challenge, the Young Miners Foundation (YMF) has successfully concluded a two-day intensive Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment (OSHE) training workshop in Bindura, Mashonaland Central. Designed to equip emerging miners with essential operational, safety, and environmental stewardship skills, the initiative represents a decisive step forward in transforming youth-led mining operations across Zimbabwe from high-risk survival activities into compliant, sustainable, and profitable enterprises.
Presiding over the workshop as Guest of Honour, YMF Board Chair Talent Chitepo emphasized that safety standards should not depend on the size of an operation.
"We are deliberately borrowing and adapting the world-class safety standards used by major industrial mines and embedding them directly into the ASM sector," said Chitepo. "Workplace safety culture extends beyond physical infrastructure—it encompasses worker health, mental clarity, and overall well-being. YMF maintains a strict stance against drug and substance abuse on site, ensuring our young miners operate with the discipline and focus required to return home safely at the end of every shift."
Under the theme "Empowered Youth, Sustainable Mining," the training focused on driving practical, everyday changes in field operations. Participants were equipped to implement standardized daily protocols—including pre-shift safety briefings, mandatory PPE usage, proactive hazard identification, and responsible waste management—turning safety from a policy on paper into second-nature operational habit.
Reaffirming the Foundation's commitment to national scalability, YMF Chief Executive Officer Payne Kupfuwa highlighted the broader roadmap for the initiative:
"Building on the momentum achieved here in Mashonaland Central, YMF is prepared to roll out this vital OSHE capacity-building program across Zimbabwe's remaining provinces in the coming months, ensuring no young miner is left behind," stated Kupfuwa.
The initiative was delivered through strategic collaboration with key government and industry partners, including:
Ministry of Mines and Mining Development
Lifeline First Aid
Timeless Treasure
Green Cloud
Gender Gap
EnviroPlus
By embedding rigorous health, safety, and ESG standards into daily workflows, YMF continues to nurture a new generation of safety-conscious, environmentally responsible mining entrepreneurs.
About the Young Miners Foundation (YMF)
The Young Miners Foundation is a organization dedicated to empowering youth in the mining sector through formalization, capacity building, safety training, technical innovation, and sustainable enterprise development.
EmpowerBank Zimbabwe
Young People Mental Health Trust.
Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training
Young Miners Foundation
Yeuka Youth Group
NationalFM Zim
Youth Light Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Youth Council
Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Zimbabwe
Chitepo Talent
