Burundi's first publishing house Note: This project has been cancelled, because of a disagreement between the partners.To the Government of Burundi, donor countries and a lot of NGOs, developing the educational system in Burundi is an important issue. As important as building schools however, is the supply of locally adapted text books for schools. At the moment, all textbooks are imported. Burundi has no own publishing house yet.Applicant MK Publishers Ltd is the largest publishing house for text books for schools in its country of origin, and is quickly growing in the neighbouring countries as well. Through their interaction with both the Ministries of Education and the local schools and end users, they have managed to build a reputable name when it comes to all sorts of text books for educational purposes.In Burundi, MK Publishers Ltd books are sold through SEGEC SA. These books however are in English and are written for the Ugandan market. As SEGEC SA sees the need to develop text books adapted to Burundian requirements, and written in French and Kirundi, the two companies now want to establish the first ever publishing house for schoolbooks in Burundi. The company will not only write and develop the books, but will also invest in a printing press to be able to print its own copies.A new joint venture will be established. The project will be located in the capital, Bujumbura.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)Applicant MK Publishers Limited has an extensive CSR policy covering both environmental and social measures, which it will copy to this new joint venture. Specifically:• The publishing house will be designed according to international health, safety and environmental rules. The company will follow a standard set out by the Uganda Publishers Association.• A detailed occupational health and safety policy will be developed.• A HRM policy including a chapter on gender, non-discrimination, employee participation and labour standard will be developed.• An environmental impact assessment will be conducted.The company will assist in the development of a school book fund, in collaboration with a NGO.Impact•	Employment and working conditionsThe project will provide employment to 32 people (12 basic-level, 20 medium-/high-level). Two years later, this is expected to grow to 55 people (26 basic-level, 29 medium-/high-level).All employees will be paid at least 15% above the local minimum wages of FBU 2,000 per day. The qualified employees will be paid according to their skills and capacities.An occupational health and safety management system will be implemented.Fringe benefits offered, include medical costs coverage, assistance in housing finance/group savings programmes, and free lunches and transport.•	Innovation / Transfer of knowledgeBoth the technical skills and technologies required for pre-press and printing, and the knowledge on publishing will be new to Burundi.Once the employees are trained in these skills, it will improve their value in the market.•	Chain effectsThe project may be expected to generate:- more volume in the book market in Burundi, leading to more bookshops and accompanying businesses;- substantial employment for Burundian authors;- better opportunities for local institutions to initiate a book publishing project.Altogether, some 40 authors, 10 illustrators and 30 content-correctors are expected to become employed indirectly in the pilot phase of this project.•	EnvironmentThe impact on the environment will be minimal, as all waste produced (paper, ink etc) will be collected and recycled either in Burundi or in Uganda. Prior to implementation of the project an environmental impact assessment will be conducted.•	Position of womenThe partners strive to employ at least 35% women. To establish a publishing house and printing press for developing a range of different text books for all educational levels in Burundi, starting with at least fifty titles in the initial phase.