In May, Wen Hongzhi, an employee of gold and copper producer Serbia Zijin Copper, was awarded the title of “Honorary Villager” of the Slatina village in Bor, Serbia. The title was given in recognition of his outstanding work in forging close ties between the company and the villagers of Slatina.

“Thanks to the efforts of Mr. Wen Hongzhi, many donation projects in sports, culture, and education have been successfully implemented, directly improving the quality of life for local community residents,” said Vojkan Popović, Chairman of the Slatina Village Community Committee.

Prior to this recognition, Mr. Wen was granted “Permanent Resident” status in Serbia by the Bor Police Department for his contributions to the city of Bor.

The Slatina village, located in the southeastern outskirts of Bor and home to around 300 households, is one of the oldest villages in the area. It lies within the footprint of mining projects run by Serbia Zijin Copper and Serbia Zijin Mining, two subsidiaries of Zijin Mining in the country. Since they began operating in the area, the companies have provided various forms of assistance to Slatina, fostering strong ties and harmonious relations with the community.

In 2020, while serving as Head of the General Manager’s Office of Serbia Zijin Copper, Wen Hongzhi learned about a family in Slatina struggling in poverty. The parents, without any formal employment, relied on odd jobs to support their five children, and the family lived in a nearly century-old home with two bedrooms.

During his conversations with the family, Mr. Wen discovered that the husband, Slavisa, was a metallurgy graduate from the Technical College of Bor. He encouraged Slavisa to apply for a position with Serbia Zijin Copper when it had job openings. Slavisa was eventually hired at the Veliki Krivelj Mine’s processing plant, earning a stable income and dramatically improving his family’s living conditions.

Wide-ranging support for local communities

The transformation in Slavisa’s family is just one of many examples of significant improvements in the lives of local residents. Over time, Serbia Zijin Copper and Serbia Zijin Mining have built close relations with local communities, implementing community donation plans tailored to community needs, and providing strong support in culture, education, infrastructure, healthcare, and sports.

They supported the Vlach ethnic minority in hosting cultural festivals, helping preserve distinctive cultural traditions. Thanks to Zijin’s support for a village football club, more young people have engaged in sports, and the club’s financial situation has improved. Additionally, funding was provided for the annual renovation community activity centers, the renovation of village auditoriums, free Wi-Fi connections in parks, and the improvement of public facilities.

This year, Serbia Zijin Mining and Serbia Zijin Copper have intensified their community assistance by launching a series of impactful public welfare projects. These include the new “Beautiful Community” program, “For the Future” education development program, “Health Guardian” medical support program, “Safe Drinking Water Project”, “Care for Underprivileged Families” program, and “Healthy Childhood” rare disease treatment project. The initiatives are a testimony to Zijin Mining’s commitment to fulfilling its social responsibility and growing together with local communities.

Translator:Jian   Reviser: Lin Xinjing   Editor-in-Chief: Wang Jie