We love plastic... but only if it's recycled
In Helder #13, we wrote about our support for UNICEF Business Buddies. It’s a wonderful initiative to build classrooms in Ivory Coast, thereby enabling more children to attend school. We’re continuing this support this year as well. The Plastic Bricks project aligns perfectly with our ideals: reusing raw materials wherever possible and giving them a new and sustainable purpose. Our goals are better education, a future for children, more jobs, and less environmental pollution.
Building Blocks for the Future
UNICEF Business Buddies is a program that connects companies with UNICEF’s work. “We are thrilled with Jacs Koopman’s contribution,” said Joliene Heimgartner of UNICEF Netherlands. “Thanks to the support of Dutch companies like Jacs Koopman, we are ensuring that more children in Ivory Coast can go to school, while also addressing other challenges in the country.”
Plastic Classrooms and Renovation of Existing Classrooms
Over the past six months, 24 new classrooms made from recycled plastic have been completed. This brings the total to 516, and the last 12 are already under construction. More than 25,000 children now have a place to go every morning. But building alone isn’t enough. That’s why 76 existing classrooms that were in poor condition have also been renovated and reinforced.
What makes this especially remarkable is that 90 members of local school boards—10% of whom are women—were trained to plan and oversee these renovations themselves. Together with community leaders, parents, and school staff, they oversaw the work. In this way, UNICEF is not only building classrooms but also investing in the people and knowledge needed to sustain them over the long term. It’s an investment that will continue to pay dividends for generations to come.
Plastic School Furniture
What began as an experiment has now become a reality. Thanks to flexible support from the Netherlands, UNICEF was able to test and further develop the project, which led to a wonderful result: school desks made from recycled plastic. So far, 1,000 have been produced and delivered to schools in the region.
Quality Education
A good classroom is a start. But what happens within those four walls is just as important. That’s why UNICEF also invests in the teachers who stand in front of the class every day. The results speak for themselves: for three consecutive school years, students in the five supported regions have achieved better grades and are passing their basic exams more often. Children are learning more, and that’s exactly the goal. Because building a school is one thing, but ensuring that children actually learn something—that’s what really matters in the end!
Would you like to support UNICEF, just like we do?
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