Shija Kwangu has held the mine at the centre of her life for 24 years. Today she works as a Technician 2 – Geotechnical in Mining Technical Services (MTS) at Geita Gold Mining Limited, but her journey began far from the technical offices. It started on the pit floor when she was employed as a trip checker in February 2002 under DTP Terrassment, when Nyankanga Cut 1 was the only active pit.
The role required vigilance, tracking load movements, and ensuring operational accountability. It was hands-on where she was exposed to dust, heat, and the rhythm of heavy machinery. At the time, few women stood in the pit among the operators.
In 2005, she transitioned to Geita Gold Mine (GGM) as a full-time permanent employee. What followed was a steady progression through the physical core of mining operations. She moved from trip checking into operating heavy machinery, first as a dump truck operator, then on water carts, handling caterpillar equipment in active mining zones.
Operating equipment in an open pit demands alertness, spatial awareness, and composure. The scale is immense, and the margin for error is small. Her career unfolded across five additional open pits over the years, each in different stages of development. She worked through expansions, transitions, and evolving site demands, witnessing the life cycle of open-pit mining from ground level.
For much of that time, she was the only woman in her crew, sometimes outnumbered fifty to one. She remembers those days with clarity. The environment required mental toughness. Respect was not granted automatically; it was earned through consistency and competence.
“It did not discourage me,” she reflects. The work culture and values she experienced at GGML, she says, reinforced her confidence rather than diminished it.
Her move into Mining Technical Services marked a turning point. Transitioning from operating equipment to geotechnical work required a shift in perspective, from moving material to understanding the ground itself.
As a geotechnician, Shija now contributes to monitoring and assessing slope stability, ground conditions and structural integrity within the mine. The work is technical and preventative, focused on protecting both people and assets through data collection, inspections and geotechnical analysis.
“It allowed me to see the field through a new lens,” she says.
The move also opened doors beyond Tanzania. In 2014, she attended a conference in Namibia and visited the Rio Tinto mine in Swakopmund.
The exposure deepened her understanding of geotechnical studies and expanded her technical confidence. It was a reminder that mining knowledge travels, and that her experience on the pit floor had prepared her for conversations far beyond it.
Reflecting on her journey, Shija speaks less about titles and more about growth. “I’ve been on this mine for 24 years. I’ve learnt many things about mining, safety and confidence,” she says.
The mine raised her professionally while she raised her children at home. Over two decades, she has watched both mature.
Today, her career stands as a progression from physical operation to technical oversight, a shift that reflects her endurance, curiosity, and readiness to evolve.
When asked what advice she would give to young women entering the workforce, especially mining, she is direct:
"Be confident and bold.
Work hard, and keep safety at the centre of everything you do.
Let your results speak when seeking advancement.
And never stop learning , never become comfortable with what you already know."
After 24 years, Shija Kwangu has embodied each of those principles.
