Vol 2 oct dec 2017

October - December 2017 Volume 2

Mine for Results BISHA MINING SHARE COMPANY - ERITREA

BMSC’s Quarterly Newsletter

WHAT’S INSIDE

GM's Message and Transition FEATURED DEPARTMENT: TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

Frazer Bourchier Steps Down Total Service Station in Massawa

www.bishamining.com

Our Vision TO BE ERITREA'S BEST MINING COMPANY

BY FINDING, ACQUIRING, AND DEVELOPING QUALITY RESERVES AND PRODUCING IN A SAFE, PROFITABLE AND RESPONSIBLE MANNER.

CONTENTS 06 Message from the General Manager

16 Tecle Ghebretinsae

12 WE ARE THE PEOPLE

15 Total Service Station in Massawa

19 BISHA IN PICTURES

SAFETY AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Safety Evaluation - by Leading And Mentoring

SELAM

, Bisha!

A formalised Visible Felt Leadership (VFL) program, referred to as the SELAM Program, was launched by the Safety and Occupational Health (SOH) team in Q3 of FY2017. Posters were placed in every department’s Safety Notice Board and a mandatory training program commenced during the first week of September; including the training of Executive Committee (EXCO) members and all Heads of Department (HODs).

A high-level message was sent by the SOH HOD, Yacob Keleta, reminding all managers and their delegates that the SELAM Program cannot succeed on its own without the visible and committed leadership of the management team in order to support the desired SAFE culture.

“We cannot say one thing and then not do it ourselves.” Yacob’s email declared.

The announcement further added that the Safety principle of Zero Harm is underpinned by three pillars outlined below and Bisha HODs must actively and committedly support these: Zero Mind Set -- We believe that all injuries, illnesses as well as environmental and community incidents are preventable. We are all responsible for preventing and correcting acts and conditions that could lead to these incidents and accidents.

No repeats -- Investigations to determine root causes must be conducted and necessary actions must be taken to prevent a recurrence; we must learn from our mistakes.

Simple, non-negotiable rules -- We must implement simple, easily understood, nonnegotiable standards & rules.

MESSAGE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER

To all Bisha employees and contractors, I personally would like to thank all employees and contractors who together constitute the Bisha team for your efforts and contribution in 2017.

As we come to the end of 2017 there are good reasons to celebrate a very good production performance this year and look forward to an exciting future in 2018 and beyond.

On the safety front we fell below our previous high standards in 2017 and a number of our people, very regrettably, suffered injuries.

Our target is zero harm and 0 lost time injuries (LTI’s) in 2018.

We have done it before – we can do it again. So please can we all make sure each of us works safely.

We really want only safe production.

Our good custodianship of the environment is recognised universally and our exploration activities continue to be a key activity at Bisha.

2016 and 2017 have been very tough years in all areas – both operational and support; at Bisha our departments are split into three general areas and I see good performance in the Production Engine area, and good support provided in the areas of Finance and Employee Services.

On another note this will be my last holiday season associated with Bisha and as I stepdown from the GM position in February 2018 after four challenging but very rewarding years I believe Bisha is on the verge of an excellent future and there are important decisions to be taken in 2018 on the future mining plans in particular.

I am pleased to see Anthony Kocken step up to the position of GM in February 2018. I am sure Anthony will build on the foundations in place and create a very good future for Bisha and its people.

One last message - this time of year is one of peace, happiness, sharing with families and good will to all.

I wish you and your families Happy and Safe Holidays and a bright and prosperous 2018 to all the Bisha family.

Best Wishes Ed

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BISHA MINING SHARE COMPANY

MEMORANDUM December 21, 2017 TO: All Bisha Employees SUBJECT: Bisha General Manager

On behalf of the Bisha Mining Share Company Board of Directors, I am pleased to announce the upcoming appointment of Anthony Kocken as Bisha General Manager commencing February 14 2018. Anthony is a Mechanical and Mining Engineer with Honors by training in additional to holding an MBA, with 25 years industry experience. Anthony has been Chief Operations Officer at Bisha for the past 3 years.

Prior to his arrival at Bisha in January 2015, he was the Chief Operations Officer at Mirabela Mine in Brazil for 3 years, before which he was General Manager Mining for all open pit and underground operations while also performing as the Senior Site Executive at Xstrata Zinc, Mount Isa Mines located in Queensland, Australia for 5.5 years We are excited to have Anthony continue on with Bisha in this elevated role as Bisha enters into a new chapter of its life with expansion and underground studies ongoing coupled with a critical 2018 production year and ongoing exploration.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Ed Mounsey, Bisha’s General Manager approaching the past 4 years, who will step down from this position in February 2018, for his excellent leadership, guidance and support as Bisha transitioned into a more mature polymetallic mining operation while focused on operational optimization, mineral resource growth and a progressive employee nationalization program. We wish Ed all the best with his future endeavors.

Peter Kukielski CEO Mariam Gimby street #61, Asmara, Eritrea Tel: (291-1) 124941

P.O.Box 4276

e-mail: asmara@bishamining.com

website: www.nevsun.com

FEATURED STORY: TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

The Training and Development Center was established in February 2013. After opening T&D as an independent Department, Safety, Leadership, Mining and Process Plant training became more structured with certification criteria according to International Standards. More recently, practical courses were added such as: Engineering Artisan Development Program, Field Level and Team Based Risk Assessment courses, Basic Fire Fighting Course and Supervisory Leadership Development Program. Additionally, Graduate Development Program, internships and research papers, department sponsored and external experts training, online training programs make up the current functions of the T&D department to upskill develop nationals for the mining industry.

Safety Trainers regard safety as a core function of their roles and integrate safety in all Training & Development (T&D) activities. T&D supports companywide efforts to improve attitudes, skills and knowledge necessary for high safety performance and promote safety culture with a vision of everyone going home safe and healthy every day. Trainers continually work to create & maintain safe working conditions incorporating safe working procedures, hazard identification and controlled risk management training programs.

Leadership training is done to promote individual & team high performance through goal oriented employee engagement and visible felt lairdship training programs. We focus on effective knowledge management system by identifying, creating and developing knowledge & skills needed for our operations. We promote effective knowledge sharing & transfer process.

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Mining Engineering- integrates science, technology and mechanical principles to locate and extract mineral resources from earth safely, efficiently and in non-destructive way possible. BMSC applies a safe, responsible surface mining operation and rehabilitates the exhausted earth into livable habitat.

The sections include Survey, Life of Mine, Mine Planning, Drill and Blast, Production, and Laod & Haul.

Process Plant trainers run operator based Training Program to deliver the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to run our process plant operations. All necessary skills required by the process plant throughout gold, Copper and zinc phases was delivered safely and effectively. The program mainly focuses to produce multi-skilled personnel capable of perform-ing a wide variety of tasks at any given time. Innovative technology such as SCADA and MET Accounting and effective procedures in Metallurgy supplement our in-house training programs to face any challenges when processing difficult ore types. High level experts coach and mentor employees in a team setting while on-the-job skill transfer takes place contributing to our employees’ engagement in safety and operational high performances.

Engineering section conduct world class artisan training & development program with the focus of creating and developing trades people with the competencies needed to effectively maintain Heavy Mining Equipment, Fixed Process Plant, Light Vehicles and other companywide maintenance functions. New technology and innovative methods are used to enhance the skills of maintenance crew and team performance. Through collaboration with Engineering Management individual competency gaps and challenges are identified, mitigated by tailoring focused programs to develop national employees’ skills and knowledge. Going forward trainers are taking proactive roles to take part in providing the skills and knowledge required for sustainable assets through preventative maintenance of our operations.

Graduate Development Program The Graduate Development program is a comprehensive 2-3 years training and mentoring program exposing trainees to constructive practical skills. The program empowers graduate engineers to be more confident, knowledgeable and experienced to run the mining business. It starts with rotational program familiarizing graduates to the general mining industry followed by individual placement in a specified role for specialized expertise and/or mine management role. Graduates contribute greatly to production providing frontline leadership to the crews driving safe and high performance work culture to ensure a high level of productivity.

Summer Internship Program Each Summer BMSC hosts 4th year students from the Eritrean Institute of Technology (EIT) in the areas of Engineering and Geology. After taking safety inductions, they rotate in their respective field sections to become familiarized with the Mining industry. They learn to mining work ethics, punctuality, team work, effective communication in the workplace and network to national and international experts. Groups identify topics for their senior research projects and create professional relationships with BMSC employees and become inspired to pursue their career in the future as an engineer and a geologist.

Online and External Expert Training Online courses provide opportunity for BMSC employees thru Personalized Development Plans to improve their skills in current positions, for succession planning and nationalization purposes. Some of the partners Institutions include Ryerson College and Edumine - Canada, University of Cape Town - South Africa, Engineering Institute of Technology – Australia and University of London – UK. External Trainers conduct equipment specific training and/or high level skills in operational, technical, managerial and software training to improve the efficiency and quality of production

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WE ARE THE PEOPLE Siera Alem’s employee dossier is almost as old as BMSC itself. He recalls coming to BMSC as a visitor during the early exploration stages and almost immediately setting a personal goal of joining the world class company he knew BMSC would one day become. His dream came true when in July 2009 he was hired as Drill Rig Operator.

He later held the post of Public Relations Officer for two years before moving to what he considered his dream department, the Process Plant.

From Control Room Operator Siera eventually mastered his job and became Acting Senior Process Plant Operations Supervisor where his passion for the field, his team and the company at large shines through every time he is called upon by his Head of Department to take guests around the plant for extensive tours.

When asked about his overall impression of working at BMSC and with international colleagues, Siera says that the daily interaction with people from different nationalities and cultures provided him an unmatched opportunity to learn about the world while being at home and added that he loves the fact that they all come together every day to work as one big family in an effort to deliver results, which is one of the five Core Values of the company.

Siera is the son of a Martyred father and a freedom fighter mother who joined Eritrea’s armed struggle in 1974. He was born in 1984 in a place called Tsabra in the fields where the armed struggle took place. Siera is a graduate of the Eritrean Institute of Technology (EIT) at Mai Nefhi.

Until very recently, Milka Tesfaldet was the face of BMSC’s well-equipped Gym and everything else surrounding physical activities that are designed to keep BMSC employees active and healthy. For five years in a row, Milka was a critical part of a team that delivered a professionally organized Eritrean Independence Day sport competitions every May in which BMSC employees competed in soccer, volleyball, cycling, running, walking, table tennis and other activities. Milka recalls how brutally competitive people are during these events but then in the evenings, after the games, everyone gathers at the bar for a drink and shares laughs and music.

Milka always wanted to work within a large, international company and when she heard BMSC was looking for a physical activities professional, she jumped on the opportunity hoping it would provide her a place to share her passion and skills. Milka joined BMSC back in 2012 first as a Gym Attendant and was later promoted to Gym Supervisor. After 5 years of onsite work, Milka decided it was time to move on and applied for the Travel Officer position within the Human Resources department. She now works out of the BMSC office in Asmara.

When asked about her previous position and what joining BMSC has meant to her, Milka said that "coaching, training & assisting employees to lead healthy lifestyle" was her favorite part, and added "as mining life is a bit hectic I believe that I contributed by introducing & organizing different sports & social activities to our employees". Obviously, every experience has its own challenges and as far as Milka’s time onsite, she recalls having to break cultural stereotypes and prove herself against some initial pushback as a female employee managing a fitness center in a mostly-men environment. After five years, her reputation in the company clearly shows that she has successfully beaten the odds.

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WE ARE THE PEOPLE Innovation and creativity comes easy to Nebay Sebhatu Woldeab, the 29 year old Network Engineer who is slowly becoming an integral part of the IT team at BMSC. Just recently, Dudley Martens, the IT Head of Department emailed a thank you note to all employees and publically thanked Nebay (and Willem Erasmus from Instrumentation) for working “…tirelessly right through the day and late into the evening…” to restore the system after a planned network outage to accommodate work at the newly constructed solar plant sight.

With over 10 years of experience in the field, Nebay’s passion for his field is also visible through the time and cost-saving software he has designed in his spare time and proposed to the company for use. One department that has clearly benefited from his innovation is Village Services through the Accommodation Management System that he designed for the Reception team.

BMSC’s safety culture and its multicultural environment are the two things that Nebay highlights when asked about his experience with the company. Nebay has a BSc. degree in Computer Science from the Eritrean Institute of Technology and before joining BMSC’s IT team, Nebay was an ICT Instructor for two years at the Dembe Sembel School in Asmara and also worked with the Ministry of Education as part of an IT Support team for four years.

Rahwa Ghebremedhn epitomizes the saying “where there is a will, there is a way”. She joined BMSC in December 2010 and has moved from the Laundry section of the Village Services department, where she was first hired as a Secretary, to the Payroll section of the Finance department within four years. At Finance, she climbed through the ranks, from Payroll Assistant to Payroll Officer within a year, and eventually assumed her current role as Payroll Supervisor in June 2016.

Rahwa is one of 5 siblings and very passionately recalls how her father was always supportive of her education and career. Rahwa has a three-year Advanced Diploma in Business Management from the College of Business and Economics, which was located in Halhale at the time.

Rahwa has also taken advantage of BMSC’s online Training and Development courses, and has earned a number of certificates in Project Management, Finance, Leadership, Accounting and Understand Financial Statements of Mining Companies.

When asked about her Finance colleagues, Rahwa said that her managers have always been supportive of her growth and advancement and she really appreciates the equal opportunity access to development provided to her at BMSC. Rahwa is a native of Aqurdet, which highlights BMSC’s Human Resources policy to actively seek and employ local talent before outsourcing to other parts of the country and then internationally.

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CORPORATE NEWS

FAREWELL FRAZER! On September 22, 2017, an announcement was made on Nevsun’s website that the Chief Operating Officer, Frazer Bourchier, would step down from the company to pursue a position with another venture in Toronto, Canada. “Frazer has been a valued member of the Nevsun team and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours,” said Peter Kukielski, Nevsun’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

Frazer had been with Nevsun since 2011 and is especially admired for his commitment to Eritrea’s budding mining sector and to the growth of the Bisha project in particular. Most notably, Frazer was committed to Nevsun’s Corporate Social Responsibility to Eritrea and helped set the bar high for the areas of Safety, Health, Environment and Community Relations.

Frazer travelled to Eritrea almost 50 times and on his last visit to site in mid-December, BMSC’s management organized a special farewell ceremony in his honor and gifted him a traditional outfit and a memorable camel ride as seen in the picture above.

All Executive Committee (EXCO) members spoke at length during the ceremony highlighting Frazer’s exceptional professionalism and commitment to BMSC throughout his tenure noting that finding a matching replacement will be very hard.

Ed Mounsey, the General Manager, said that Frazer “… provided technical leadership, guidance and support to all involved at Bisha and myself in particular through some very challenging times. From Bisha’s perspective the loss of his wisdom, dynamism and drive will be difficult to replace.”

Fesseha Ghebrehiwot, the Chief Services Officer, highlighted Frazer’s unmatched friendship to the country and people of Eritrea and expressed both sadness to see him leave but faith that he would always keep Eritrea at heart and perhaps even come back for another project in the future. Fesseha added: “I am not a geologist, however it is repeatedly said that Eritrea has great potential in terms of minerals and the Red Sea coast is known for its oil and potash wealth….I believe the potential for Eritrea’s development is there and I am looking forward to seeing you being part of this development in Eritrea.”

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TOTAL SERVICE STATION IN MASSAWA Official Opening Tiwalet Total Service Station Massawa

BMSC recently entered into an agreement with Total Eritrea for them to provide a service to refuel the BMSC Transhorn trucks transporting concentrates and general cargo from Massawa port to Bisha mine site. The operation selected by Total to provide this service was their Tiwalet Service Station just outside the Massawa port.

The benefits for BMSC to enter into this agreement, were to get rid of the ungainly fuel tanks that were set up inside the port as an intermediate solution when we started with the Copper operation in 2013, as well as to get a professional unit managing and operating the storage of our fuel and the refuelling service of our trucks.

The Service station is very well positioned. The trucks can enter the port to offload their full containers, get an empty container to take back to site and just after they exit the port, the Station is on the right hand side of the road with ample queuing space. The four dispensaries can refuel four trucks at the same time and the exit is straight forward so no need for turning. The section of the Station is only for the use of BMSC trucks and LDV’s, so there is minimal opportunity to get mixed up in other third party vehicles.

The official opening of the Service Station took place on Saturday September 23rd 2017. A small opening ceremony of the Service Station was held at the Service Station where Mr. Mengisteab, the General Manager of the Port Authority of Massawa cut the launch ribbon.

Also present were Martin Raubenheimer, BMSC's Commercial Manager, Zecarias Habte, Logistics Manager, the Sales and Marketing Manager of Total Eritrea, Alazar Abu, as well as different invited guests and staff of the Massawa depot.

IN MEMORIAM TC Remembered As the writing on the t-shirt he is wearing in the picture says, Tecle Ghebretinsae, or “TC” as he was lovingly addressed by his BMSC family, was truly a rock star. His sense of innocent humor was remarkable and he would often go out of his way to make people happy. His smile was contagious and his camaraderie was sought by all who came across him.

Tecle joined BMSC in 2015, and in two years managed to leave a very positive impression on all of his colleagues.

Wise. Compassionate. Gentle. Ask anyone who has ever interacted with Tecle at BMSC and you would be hardpressed to find one person who would have anything negative to say about this “rockstar”. He carried himself with a humble confidence and was always gracious with his love and kindness.

All of this is exactly why when the news of his untimely passing was circulated everyone felt the blow. National as well as his expatriate colleagues could not believe the announcement. His immediate Bisha family, the Employee Services team, was especially affected, and a very eerie silence engulfed the otherwise busy and loud corridors of the Administration building where TC was often spotted smiling and joking, and always helping everyone.

Transport was organized from site to Asmara for anyone who wanted to attend his funeral and management made other special arrangements including the purchase of a wreath to accompany the mourners to TC’s place of burial. A very somber memorial ceremony was later held onsite for those who could not attend his funeral. The outpouring of pain, love and memories during the ceremony is a testament to how many colleagues this soul touched.

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Cicero once wrote: "The life of the dead is placed on the memories of the living. The love you gave in life keeps people alive beyond their time.

Anyone who was given love will always live on in another's heart.”

Indeed, Tecle, although taken way too early, will always live in his BMSC family’s hearts.

EMPLOYEE PROFILE Richard Brown BMSC’s Drill & Blast Superintendent Short Background?

I am 42 years old, Australian, married with 4 sons. I have been in the mining industry for the last 24 years working within Australia, Indonesia and now Eritrea, in Africa.

How did you get into mining?

My uncle was the owner of an open cut gold in Meekatharra Western Australia, he gave me the opportunity to start as an Assistant Blaster.

Why Bisha?

Why not as it seemed like a good idea at the time. …and what has Bisha meant to you since joining?

I feel honored and privileged to be working with the people of Eritrea on the first operating mine in the country.

Meet Richard Brown

What’s your favorite part of working here?

The people. I can honestly say I have never worked in another environment where people actually care when asking personal questions.

How do you see yourself contributing to the company?

Coaching and Mentoring the Drill and Blast team to a world class standard.

What has been the most challenging part of being here?

Developing that world class team.

Overall impression of working in the Eritrean context?

Absolutely enjoy the challenges we face daily, and seeing the team give 100% and working to the best of one’s ability day in day out.

Something fun about your team The continuous reminder that I am the father and I must look after them.

FUN AND NEWS Animal of the Month (December) Ostrich (Struthio camelus massaicus) also known as East African Ostrich

The WINNER

of last issue’s game is BERHANE MEASHO Eletrical Training Officer from T&D. Answer emailed on Sat 21/10/2017 at 5:51 p.m.

Take on your BMSC colleagues in this head-to-head version of a modern-day classic “brain food”. Email your answers to mbereket@bishamining.com and the winner (timestamped emails) will be announced in the next issue of this newsletter.

At at average of 2.5m tall, the ostrich is the world’s largest and heaviest bird. Its significant weight, up to 160kg, prohibits the bird from taking flight but the ostrich has many unique abilities that make it well-adapted to living in harsh conditions. This flightless bird is equipped with long, muscular legs built for running. Unlike other birds that have three or four toes, ostriches have only two toes on each foot which allows for greater speed. They can sprint as fast as 70 km/h and hold steady speeds of 50 km/h. One stride can span 3 to 5m! When confronted with danger, ostriches can usually outrun any animals posing a threat. If fleeing the scene is not an option, ostriches use their powerful legs to kick. With a 10cm talon on each foot, their downward kicks can cause serious harm and sometimes death to potential predators. Ostriches are omnivores, which means they eat both vegetation and meat. Although they prefer plants — especially roots, seeds and leaves — they also eat locusts, lizards, snakes and rodents. They also eat sand and pebbles, to help grind up their food inside their gizzard, which is a small pouch where food is crushed and ripped up before it reaches the stomach. Ostriches get all the water they need from the plants they eat. However, they do drink if they come across a watering hole. They are normally encountered as solitary birds or in pairs. Males differ from females with their deeper black plumage, blue-grey neck and legs, which becomes bright pink when breeding. The plumage of an adult female is brown to grey. Ostrich eggs are 6 inches in diameter and can weigh up to 3 lbs. The males and females share the responsibility of taking care of the young. By six months, a chick is almost at its full-grown height; at 3 or 4 years, it will reach maturity. An ostrich can live 50 to 75 years. Contrary to popular belief, ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand In Eritrea, the ostrich is found in the Eastern Coastal Zone and Mid-Western Lowlands and is frequently seen in the BMSC mine concession area.

BMSC’s wildlife and habitat management plan discourages any activity which impacts the freedom of wildlife (such as trapping, hunting and disturbance to wildlife).

BISHA

IN PICTURES

EVERYONE GOING HOME SAFE AND HEALTHY EVERYDAY

“our results continue to improve but above all we need to avoid injuries; remember our safety statement: “Everyone going home safe and healthy everyday” This is our guiding principle.” Ed Mounsey Bisha Mining Share Company | Head Office - 61, Mariam Gimby, Asmara, Eritrea PO Box 4276 |Phone: 291 112 4941 | Email: bisha@bishamining.com