MTN Ghana Foundation has launched its 10th anniversary under theme “Celebrating Ten years of Brightening Lives, Inspiring a Brighter Future”.
Over the 10-year period, the Foundation has invested $13 million in building school blocks, libraries and ICT centres, enhancing teaching capabilities, constructing and equipping hospital wards, giving scholarships to needy students, and supporting entrepreneurs
Speaking at a media launch of the anniversary, in Accra Professor Franklin Manu, Board Chair, MTN Ghana Foundation, said they are proud of their achievements and accomplishments over the period: “Educating people with the schools we have put up, improving digital prospects by providing ICT centres and making business expansion possible with our economic empowerment initiatives.”
Through the intervention of the Foundation, he said, more people in rural and urban communities have access to improved healthcare while thousands of expectant mothers now deliver in comfortable hospitals that the Foundation has refurbished or constructed like the newly built maternity unit of the Tema General Hospital.
“The interventions have saved many lives in remote and urban communities in Ghana. The brand is not only about our expertise in delivering a connected society, but also about good corporate citizenship.”
The MTN Group mandates the contribution of 1 per cent of its profits after tax to social responsibility initiatives; in Ghana, the fund is managed by the foundation.
So far, 1,000 students have benefited from the Foundation’s scholarship scheme, which by large contributes to the human capital development of Ghana.
Its flagship project, ‘MTN Heroes of Change’, which was launched in 2013, has been a train for giving a voice to the voiceless and has helped in recognizing some wonderful people who were impacting their communities in their own small way.
According to the Board Chairman Prof Franklin Manu, he noted that the ‘Save a life campaign’, which organizes the annual blood donation exercise, was introduced by the foundation to help address the perennial blood shortage at the National Blood Bank and other regional hospitals. The campaign had since collected over 6,000 pints of blood.
He therefore commended the staff of the network for their dedication over the years; adding that Foundation will continue to provide leadership in the various communities and to ensure that the impact is felt in all spheres of life.
Through the interventions of the MTN Ghana Foundation, more people in rural Ghana as well as urban communities now have access to improved healthcare.
He added that “The newly constructed maternity unit of the Tema General hospital which we will be opening soon is a classic example.
These interventions have saved many lives in remote and urban communities in Ghana – all of this made possible from funds generated from a network we consistently strive to enhance and expand.
We have not just invested financial resources, we have also invested quality time and made a lot of sacrifices to make lives better.
“Save a life campaign which organizes 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 has since then, collected over 6,000 pints of blood”, Prof Manu emphasized.
This he said, nothing is more rewarding than seeing how our investments are transforming the lives of people, through our support in health care and education. We are also proud of the 100 people who have benefitted from our scholarship scheme.
Through that scheme we have contributed to the human capital development in this country. I am pleased to be associated with an organization that makes a meaningful difference in the lives of our communities”.
“Through the work of the foundation we have also given a Voice to the Voiceless. The Foundation’s project, MTN Heroes of Change, which was launched in 2013 encourages altruism in our communities.
As a result of this initiative, some wonderful people have been recognized including a Medical Doctor, a nurse, a teacher with hearing and speech impairment and several other people”.
As most of you are aware by now, the MTN brand is not only about our expertise in delivering a connected society, it is also about good corporate citizenship, according to him.
The MTN Group mandated the contribution of 1% of its profits after tax to social responsibility initiatives, and in Ghana, these funds are managed by the MTN Foundation which has its own independent Board of Directors and a Secretariat.
By: Samuel Adobah