Accra, June 5, GNA – MTN Ghana, as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations, will drill boreholes in selected Senior High Schools in a Project dubbed: “Quench and Connect Campaign.”
Mr Stephen Blewett, Chief Executive Officer, MTN Ghana, said the boreholes would be drilled in selected schools across the 16 regions facing water crises.
Mr Blewett was speaking at the launch of MTN Ghana’s employee volunteerism programme, “21 Days of Y’ello Care,” now extended to “30 Days of Y’ello Care.”
The programme instituted by the MTN Group is to encourage employees of the company to show commitment to the company’s social investment drive.
This year’s campaign on the theme: “Education for Rural and Remote Communities, Learn Today, Lead Tomorrow” focuses on bridging the educational divide in underserved communities across MTN’s operational footprint.
He expressed the hope that providing these boreholes would alleviate the burden on the beneficiary schools and allow students to focus on their studies.
Mr Blewett said 2024 marked a significant milestone for MTN, celebrating 30 years of innovation, connectivity, and social impact.
He said the “30 Days of Y’ello Care” initiative demonstrated MTN’s commitment to leveraging technology and resources to empower communities and create a better, more inclusive future for all.
The CEO said the theme was important because it emphasised the role of education in transforming communities, strengthening socio-economic growth and prosperity and preparing the youth with the necessary knowledge skills and resources for the future.
He said the 2024 edition of the 30 Days Y’ello Care “would significantly impact the communities we serve, help bridge some of the educational gaps and barriers faced in the rural communities, and ultimately help shape an equitable digital future for our country. The more people have access to technology the more people develop.”
“MTNers through the 30 Days of Y’ello Care will expand education systems with more infrastructure and provide resources and materials for teachers to succeed in the classroom,” he said.
He said they would equip deprived schools with digital tools to bridge the digital divide, improve educational outcomes and empower learners with sustainable initiatives that encourage them to stay in school and build valuable skills.
“Our initiatives will also include ICT-enabled programmes to enhance education, the establishment of gardens to support school feeding programs, and the organisation of digital literacy workshops to teach crucial digital skills to students and teachers. Through these projects, we hope to improve the quality of teaching and learning in our schools,” he added.
Mr Blewett said the “30 Days of Y’ello Care” campaign starts on June 1 and would end on June 30, 2024, indicating that thousands of MTN employees would unite in this shared mission, participating in activities designed to make a lasting impact on educational access and quality.
Madam Adwoa Wiafe, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, MTN Ghana said, “At MTN, we are passionate about our volunteering programmes because we recognize the immense benefits they bring, and Y’ello Care gives us the opportunity to engage with our communities in a way that is different from our daily work.”
She said the theme: “Learn Today, Lead Tomorrow” embodied MTNer’s passion for creating a world where every young person had access to the tools required to reach their full potential.
Mr John Ntim Fordjour, Deputy Minister of Education, commended MTN Ghana for such an initiative and for investing in the Y’ello Care Programme.
He said, “For the past 17 years the Ministry of Education has enjoyed a partnership with MTN and ensuring that we collaborate with the project that are ensuring that 21st Century learning is taking place in rural and urban areas across all the country and children are learning in safe and conducive environments.”
GNA