‘MTN staff volunteerism geared towards digital education’

In its efforts at giving back to the society, Nigeria’s Telecommunications giant, MTN Nigeria has started its annual staff volunteerism initiative named 21 Days of Y’ello Care 2015.
The programme which runs across 22 countries in Africa and Middle East is aimed at the staffs volunteering their resources to support, improve and transform communities in which they operate.
The 2015 21 Days of Y’ello Care is geared towards the development in the education sector with the theme: “Investing in Education for All”.
Speaking on the CRS initiative in Lagos, MTN Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Mr. Michael Ikpoki, said “This initiative is yet another way that we demonstrate our commitment as an organization to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Over the next 21 days, we will show this through various community building activities which our employees will engage in; activities which underscore our recognition of the support of various communities in which we operate and our commitment to improving and transforming these same communities.
“The theme this year is again, ‘Investing in Education for all’. This focus on education over the past four years is driven by our continuing commitment to deliver lasting impact in all that we do. We consider it important to increase and consolidate on our efforts to contribute to our nation’s educational sector, especially in the application of digital learning.”
Speaking further, Ikpoki said, “Indeed, as limited access to quality education continues to plague Africa’s growth and development, the role of digital learning in the ICT era has become more compelling, as digital learning brings to the table, immediate, diverse and customized access to world-class education and beyond that, a multiplicity of opportunities for advancement.
“We are once again presented with a unique platform over the next 21 days, to contribute to this kind of impact while also leading the delivery of a bold, new digital world to its customers.”
He however listed some of this year’s CRS project to include; establishing digital learning facilities in Libraries of 12 schools in six MTN locations nationwide, Book reading sessions, Train the teacher project and Y’ello tutor project amongst others.
Speaking to newsmen at the event, MTN Nigeria’s corporate services executive, Mr. Akinwale Goodluck, “The weeks ahead are filled with various initiatives that will enable MTN, through the 21 Days of Yello Care programme, continue to contribute its quota towards improving educational standards in Nigeria, especially in supporting the new administration’s educational agenda.”
He however said they hope to touch more lives during this year than the 2014 programme.