School notebooks for better education in Burundi Note: This project has been cancelled, because the partners did not meet the RVO expectations.The partners will establish the first facility that produces school notebooks in Burundi. The demand for schoolbooks is increasing due to the growing (school) population and the currently introduced free primary education policy of the government. The cost of notebooks are one of the reasons for dropping out from school. The project will offer notebooks at a lower price than the imported ones.The facility will be located in Bujumbura. The partners know each other well. The applicant is a Kenyan company Punchlines what is active in the printing and paper conversion sector and produces different products including school notebooks. The local partner Paper Converter Burundi is a young company active in the printing business.The partners will establish a joint venture for the PSI project.The project is innovative because it will be the first in Burundi that will produce school notebooks. The production technique with the use of a notebook production line is new for the country as well. The project will create 35 jobs and will offer a fair salary and good working conditions. The aimed recycling of waste paper and ink residues is in line with the green and clean policy the project will implement.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)The partners will develop and implement a CSR policy in line with ILO’s international labour standards.The policy includes: no child labour, no forced overtime work, good wages, no discrimination, 50% of the staff will be women, health and safety working conditions, zero tolerance policy on corruption and green/clean principles.Impact•	Employment and working conditionsThe project offers safe and healthy working conditions by providing safety shoes and clothes and a special training.The wages are good.The employees will benefit from several fringe benefits including daily free meal, health insurance including family member, free notebooks for their children.Employees will be trained on several operational aspects but also on other subjects like marketing, organisation, health and safety what will improve their position on the labour market.•	Innovation / Transfer of knowledgeProduct: School notebooks are not currently produced in Burundi.Production method: The modern notebook production line is also new for the country.•	Chain effectsImpact on local suppliersThis impact is limited due to the fact the applicant and other suppliers from abroad will supply most of the raw materials like paper reels.Impact on local customers or consumersThe whole production will be sold on the local market mainly through wholesalers and shop chains. These outlets will benefit by the lower price of the local produced notebooks compared with the imported ones.Consumers will benefit because the outlets are able to sell the local produced notebooks for a lower price than the imported notebooks.That will reduce the expenses of families for school and will help to decrease the drop out from schools.•	Impact on the sectorThis impact is hardly existing because the project will not spread their know-how in the sector or other private companies or organisations.•	EnvironmentThe project mentioned it will be based on green and clean principles. In line with this policy paper waste and ink residues will be recycled.•	Position of womenPositive impact on the position of women.Seventeen women will be employed on basic-level and two on medium-/high-level. This means 50% of the workforce will be women. The project will set up a production facility with a capacity of 5 million school notebooks per year for a lower price than the imported notebooks.