Study shows success for Cotton made in Africa school projects
An independent study has shown that education projects in cotton-farming communities in Tanzania have higher levels of success when Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) is involved.
CmiA works in cotton-growing regions of sub-Saharan Africa to help improve the living conditions of smallholder farmers there while protecting the environment and increasing transparency in the textile supply chain.
Instead of collecting donations, it follows the principle of helping people to help themselves through trade. CmiA-certified cotton is available in the global market, with a worldwide alliance of textile companies and brands paying a licensing fee to use the CmiA seal. CmiA then reinvests the licensing revenue in a variety of projects, including in education.
Depending on the needs of local communities, its educational projects by CmiA may involve building classrooms, latrines, boreholes, student dormitories, or school canteens.
Successes the study has flagged up include a substantially higher rate of school attendance, 83%, at CmiA schools in Tanzania than at similar schools in the same region of the country, where the average, according to the study was 68%.
Pupil drop-out was also lower at CmiA schools, with an average of 11 pupils abandoning their studies at schools the group had helped set up, compared to an average of 56 pupils at other schools in the study.
