SMART Aid and private partnership helps Tanzania make bed nets for Africa
A to Z Textile Mills in Arusha, Tanzania is an example of what can be achieved when aid works in tandem with private partnerships to support industry and employment – and when African countries reform their business climates to welcome investors. A to Z is the only African factory that manufactures long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets to protect families from malaria, the leading killer of children throughout the continent. It’s a joint venture with a Japanese company Sumitomo Chemical, which gave A to Z a royalty-free technology license to produce the special nets which last at least five years without retreating. The nets are bought by the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, donor agencies and non-governmental organisations including UNICEF and Population Services International (PSI). They are used to fight malaria across Africa. The A to Z factory has the capacity to produce more than ten million nets a year. It employs 4,600 Tanzanians, mostly women, each supporting an average of six people. A to Z will be opening a stitching facility in Ethiopia in June 2009 and a factory in Nigeria in the near future.
-Beth Adler
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June 15, 2009 at 4:38 pm
hmmm…quite interesting how all these stories seem to be popping out of nowhere.
June 15, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Hi Ridiyen,
Hope all is well. You’re right– a little lack of context here. As ONE continues to advocate for SMART Aid, we’re going to be periodically featuring examples on the ONE Blog of how effective development assistance, when implemented correctly, can save lives.
You can read more background on the topic here: http://www.one.org/c/us/hottopic/2817/
Thanks!
Chris, ONE.org
June 16, 2009 at 11:54 am
Please no hate comments or ignorant comments because this is a shame that a smart student may not be able to get financial aid cuz their parents are illegal.