A collaboration between Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the Dutch ZDHC Foundation, supported by Dow- a renowned materials science company- has given birth to a three-year project to develop a sustainable fashion industry in Ethiopia. The venture was co-funded by Dow’s Business Impact Fund, a competitive grant program designed to help address social problems through Dow’s technology and expertise
According to Huron Daily Tribune, this undertaking consists of using education, training programs and business consultancy to promote more sustainable manufacturing processes in Ethiopia’s fast-growing fashion industry.
A special focus was placed on the textile sub-sector, for which the country is deemed as having the potential to be prominent in the field. The project team has already joined forces with the Bahir Dar University’s Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology (EiTEX) to enact a technical training program for instructors and create a new chemical management curriculum for undergraduate students (which has been approved and adopted by the Ethiopian Ministry of Education). All project materials will be made available to educational institutions for future use.
Secondly, the scheme aimed to raise the awareness and capabilities of factory management and workers throughout the textile supply chain in order to implement and sustain an effective sustainable chemical management system based on ZDHC’s industry best-practice guidelines. After the project concludes, a network of seven qualified chemical management consultants will continue to provide ongoing training and on-site consultancy to businesses and industry professionals.
The first 100 university students have already completed the e-learning curriculum, and managers and operators from 20 textile plants began implementing improved chemical management system processes.
