Orange Belgium supporting project of UNICEF and DJ Henri PFR to build schools in Ivory Coast

Orange Belgium is supporting the MUSIC FOR BRICKS concert on April 29th, which will bring together Belgian artists as Henri PFR, Alice on the Roof, Selah Sue, Loïc Nottet, Coely and others. The goal is to raise money for an ambitious UNICEF project that uses innovative bricks made of recycled plastic for building new schools in Ivory Coast.

Orange Belgium positions itself as a responsible operator, eager to fight for social and digital inclusion, and to respect the environment. A commitment which translates into a continuous attention to the environmental impact of the company, whose operational activities are certified CO² neutral by the organizations CO² Logic and Vinçotte.

Michaël Trabbia, CEO of Orange Belgium, comments: “We are delighted to support MUSIC FOR BRICKS, notably by offering several thousand places to our customers. This fantastic project - which will enable building schools based on recycled materials in Ivory Coast, a country where Orange is also present - corresponds perfectly to our long-term commitment for the planet and for inclusion. I wish to salute the work of UNICEF, as well as the personal commitment and generosity of the artists assembled around Henri PFR, with whom we collaborate regularly."

Recycled plastic bricks to build schools

The city of Abidjan generates over 288 tonnes of plastic waste every day, and a mere 5% of this waste is currently being recycled. The rest ends up in dumps, most often located close to poor quarters, which only exacerbates the hygiene problems already present in these quarters. It is estimated that poor waste management is responsible for 60% of the occurrence of diseases, such as malaria, that are potentially fatal for children. Ivory Coast has as many as 1.6 million children who are unable to attend school. To change that, 30,000 new classrooms will have to be built.

To help the country achieve this goal, in June 2019 UNICEF built a factory for making bricks out of recycled plastic in Yopougon, a suburb of Abidjan. The only one of its kind in Africa, this factory will transform the plastic waste collected in the country into modular bricks, sustainable materials that are easy to assemble - and moreover quite inexpensive. The project intends to use them exclusively for building classrooms. UNICEF has already committed itself to building 528 classrooms in Ivory Coast. Thanks to the funds raised by MUSIC FOR BRICKS, it will be possible to build an even larger number.

To continue building schools, UNICEF is organising, at the initiative of the Belgian artist Henri PFR, a major concert this coming April 29th. The following performers have already confirmed their presence: Alice on the Roof, Selah Sue, Loïc Nottet, Coely. And others will follow.

Orange Belgium customers will have a chance to win a ticket in a contest organized through its Orange Thank You loyalty program. Throughout the year, Orange Belgium customers receive numerous gifts via the Orange Thank You program, from additional data volume to wellness products, up to tickets for festivals and other events. In 2019, Orange Belgium distributed more than 2.1 million gifts to its customers.