MTN Ghana Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of the telecom giant, has said it has invested over GH¢55million in several socially responsible projects across the length and breadth of the country.
Focusing on education, health and entrepreneurship, the foundation noted that it has and continues to build school blocks, libraries and ICT centres; enhance teaching capabilities, construct and equip hospital wards; give scholarships to needy students, and support entrepreneurs.
The foundation has also instituted several themed projects: such as the MTN Heroes of Change; Teacher Improvement Awards Project; MTN Reading Club project; Save a Life initiative; and he MTN Ghana Foundation Incubation Partnership Programme with Ghana Multimedia Incubator Centre.
Launching the foundation’s 10th anniversary in Accra, the Board Chairman of the 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 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.
He congratulated the staff of MTN for their volunteering spirit over the years, and added that he expects the foundation to continue providing leadership in the various communities and ensure that the impact is felt in all spheres of life.
Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, Executive Secretary of the foundation, said as part of activities to celebrate the anniversary – which is to end in March 2018 – the foundation has put together both internal and external events.
The activities include Economic Empowerment Day, Education Day, staff volunteering, community-driven corporate social responsibility in MTN’s three business districts, and a visit to the Borstal home.
She said the foundation will also embark on some projects to mark the anniversary – like partnering with ‘Operation Smile’ to help people who have congenital disabilities and need some surgery; putting up an oil palm production centre in the Ashanti Region; and giving 300 scholarships to students.
