1. Cards from Africa Recycling Cardboard into Greeting Cards
Presented by:
Peter J. Chandonait, Director of Environmental Compliance and Safety, PMI AIRS Project
7th MIM Conference, Dakar, Senegal
April 20, 2018

2. Introduction
PMI AIRS Rwanda has performed indoor residual spraying in Rwanda since 2012
Insecticide comes in cardboard cartons as secondary packaging
Boxes are not contaminated
Space is at a premium in Rwanda, land-filling not a good option
AIRS needed to find a more ecological method of disposal

3. Introduction, cont.
Cards from Africa needed low-cost raw material for card stock.
Just lost major source of raw material
Viability of the business in doubt
PMI AIRS Rwanda agreed to provide boxes to the business free of charge
PMI credited with saving the business

4. Cards from Africa Unique business.
Hand-made greeting cards at competitive prices
Fair compensation to workers (orphans who are head-of-household).
Teaches entrepreneurial, management, and practical business skills to staff.
Fosters self-worth
Products are widely available (US, EU, Web)

5. Cards from Africa 2004 - three employees 2018 - 90 employees
Jean De Dieu Bukuru, Manager and contact
Each employee works there for five years
Workforce is gender-balanced
Employees learn marketable skills
Constant flow of skilled workers enter the marketplace

6. Cards from Africa
Each card starts as scrap paper that is recycled into new handmade papers.
All of the card makers lost their parents to either genocide or disease.

7. Card Samples

8. Donations from PMI AIRS
Period
# cartons
2013
463
2014
2,973
2015
3,305
2016
14,385
2017
15,216

9. Cards from Africa
Cards from Africa video

10. Visit the Web site

11. Thank you!