MTN Foundation invests GH¢57m in 10 years
The MTN Ghana Foundation has invested over $13 million (about GH¢57 million in current exchange rate) in various social interventions in health care, education and economic empowerment over the past 10 years.
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Among the corporate social investments of the foundation are the construction of school blocks, libraries and information and communications technology (ICT) centres, refurbishment and construction of maternity and children’s blocks in some hospitals, as well as educational scholarships for brilliant, needy students.
It has also constructed and equipped hospital wards, paid the tuition fees of students and supported entrepreneurship.
Launching the 10th anniversary of the foundation in Accra yesterday, the Board Chairman of the MTN Ghana Foundation, Professor Franklin Manu, said the foundation would continue to provide support for communities and ensure that its impact was felt in all spheres of life.
“My colleagues and I will continue to search, innovate and implement strategies and projects that will brighten lives everywhere we go,” he said.
Touching on some of its legacy impacts, Prof. Manu said, “Our save a life campaign, which organises the annual blood donation exercise, was introduced to help address the perennial blood shortage at the national blood bank and other regional hospitals.
The campaign, since then, has collected over 6,000 pints of blood,” he added.
Anniversary
Activities lined up for the anniversary celebration on the theme, “Celebrating 10 years of brightening lives, inspiring a brighter future,” include an economic empowerment day, an entrepreneurial section that will allow the chief executive officers (CEOs) of McDan Shipping and the Jandel Event to share their experiences and encourage entrepreneurs.
A Senior Manager at the MTN Ghana Foundation, Mrs Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, said the foundation would also organise a social media campaign dubbed “The 10 good deeds”, where the public would be encouraged to nominate any entrepreneur of their choice for making an impact in their communities, out of which 10 would be selected and awarded.
There will also be a ‘Jama’ competition (singing among students) where registered school groups will be required to record their best jama songs to compete for grants towards school projects.
“The winner of the Jama competition will receive GH¢10,000 to establish a library or any educational facility in their school,” she said.
The second will receive GH¢7,000 while the third group receives GH¢5,000 for their school.
New projects
On the way forward for the foundation, Mrs Fiagbenu said the foundation would hand over a newly constructed maternity unit to the Tema General Hospital, as well as a palm oil project at Juaso, Ashanti Region.
“There will also be the launch of an assistive technology centre. We will continue to support operation smile and offer scholarships to needy, brilliant students,” she added.
According to her, there will be an education day where staff of the company will be encouraged to report to work in their respective old school uniforms and share pictures on social media.
Background
The foundation was established in November 2007 to implement corporate social activities.
With one per cent of its profit after tax devoted to corporate social investments, the MTN Ghana Foundation has invested in 142 development projects with its focus on education, health and economic empowerment.
