International Women in Resources Mentoring Programme Case Study: Brazilian Nickel and Ngonzi Kiiza

Since its inception, Brazilian Nickel’s Technical Director Anne Oxley has participated in the International Women in Resources Mentoring Programme (‘IWRMP’), an annual programme established to empower women to seek advantageous career opportunities and overcome challenges associated with working in the traditionally male-dominated mining industry.

In 2019, as a part of the IWRMP, Anne became a mentor to Ngonzi Kiiza. Under Anne’s stewardship and guidance, Ngonzi excelled both personally and professionally, and was recently welcomed back to the Piauí Nickel Project on a consultancy contract, highlighting the value of the IWRMP and the role it plays in improving the opportunities for women across the mining sector.

During the mentoring programme, Ngonzi created a needs and aspiration map which informed her meetings with Anne and was integral to her progress. By breaking her time into chunks, tasks became easier to visualise and work towards. Ngonzi attests that this was her greatest achievement during the six-month placement.

“When I look back at this map, l realise how much of it has come to pass. Anne helped me understand how issues like work life balance, stress management, self-value, being heard, negotiation, managing conflict and feedback, and effective communication were crucial skills to a woman’s wellbeing in the mining space, especially in leadership and management roles.”

Ngonzi’s current work at Brazilian Nickel is a measure of her professional progress. She is carrying out a data analysis review, checking the integrity of the company’s broad data sets and ensuring that it is accurately collected and reported. By improving these processes, Ngonzi’s review will inform future practices and solidify the validity of BRN’s operations. She is also assisting with the training of some of the company’s operators, placing emphasis on the importance of safety at the site.

Ngonzi attributes her change in outlook and professional success to the IWRMP, and cites Anne’s support, assistance, and advice as a crucial factor in her propensity to overcome the?challenges of being a woman in the mining sector. Brazilian Nickel is hugely proud of its involvement in the IWRMP, and the opportunities it has provided for hundreds of women like Ngonzi.