Jimmy Chikhaya - Food Technologist

From a distance, he looks like an average Joe - often clad in jeans and tatty trainers. Up close it soon emerges to anyone that Jimmy Kazhiko Chikahya is a passionate, dedicated, and full of life and promise 29 year old. Shakespeare tells us that not all that glitters is gold and I say beneath this understated exterior lies the finest and purest gold. This is an attribute fitting for Jimmy, COMACO`s Quality Assurance Manager and Food Technologist.

Jimmy was born in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia in 1984. He is the first born in a family of five boys. He attended Kaoma Secondary School where he was one of the only two students to qualify for university entrance. His marks were very high that the government of Zambia awarded him a full scholarship to study Food Science and Technology at the University of Zambia in 2003.After a five year period of attending lectures in the day time and burning candles at night to study, again Jimmy was one of the only two students that finished the course and graduated while other students either dropped out or merely gave up the course because they could not keep up with the pressure and demand associated with studying this course. Jimmy on the other hand worked hard and long and finally his efforts paid off in June 2008, when he graduated at the prestigious graduation ceremony which many young Zambians only dream of.

Jimmy joined COMACO in 2008 in the position of Quality Assurance Manager /Food Technologist and instantly established and found his place as a hardworking and well loved person.

Since he joined COMACO at the height of the company’s quest to penetrate the market, Jimmy cleared the many hurdles that COMACO faced in its infancy. Jimmy has been working tirelessly and around the clock to develop new products for the company and as a result has placed COMACO in a position of competitiveness.
Jimmy is a valued and essential employee of COMACO. Last year, his diligence and dedication earned him a training opportunity with General Mills, one of the world’s most renowned food processing companies. Jimmy traveled to their head quarters where he was given comprehensive training and orientation. Jimmy came back to COMACO with even more to offer the company. There is never a dull moment in Jimmy’s young life. When he is not racking his brain in the laboratory he is having a drink with his many friends or in the gym working up a sweat. During all this Jimmy has COMACO on his mind.

Jimmy has just returned from a fact finding mission for better equipment and methods of food production in South Africa at the invitation of Mr.Roger Westwell. COMACO is positive that the excellent expertise imparted to Jimmy by Roger will certainly improve the quality, appearance and nutritional value of COMACO`s products now under trial.

To give you a few more details about Roger, I will start by saying that Roger is a true friend of COMACO and Zambia. Roger is one of the best food scientists in Africa. He is the CEO of Mogul Process Plant in Johannesburg, South Africa which manufactures food processing machinery. Roger has many interesting talents and for many years he has used these talents to help food processing companies to set up profitable and sustainable food processing businesses. During all this Roger has acquired vast experience in both animal and human food processing. Despite these achievements, Roger cares and spares time for COMACO and we are grateful to Roger for being a comfort in difficult times and a friend in deed.

I was fortunate to steal a few moments with Jimmy upon his return from South Africa and when I asked him what he had in store for COMACO and Zambia, I was struck by the glitter of hope in his eyes. He didn’t have to say a thing-his smile and the gleam in his eyes said it all.