It's against the above principle that MTN Uganda, the nation's leading telecommunications company and biggest tax payer, decided to launch The MTN Foundation, an initiative to build capacity among Ugandan communities.
The initiative was launched last week with a UGX600 million donation to the foundation, from MTN Uganda.
Speaking at the launch, the CEO Noel Meir said, “We appreciate that the community plays a significant role in shaping the business environment, since it is from these communities, that we draw both our customers and human resources.”
He added, “It is therefore crucial that we play an active role in t ensuring that people are empowered to release their potential, because this ultimately impacts on our business.”
Mier explained that the foundation would thus serve as a vehicle through which MTN will pursue its social investment agenda, which is mainly focused around stimulating equitable and sustainable socio-economic development as a responsible corporate citizen.
The Chairman, Board of Trustees for the MTN Foundation, George Egaddu said, “The Foundation will seek to closely engage communities in activities of mutual interest and having a philanthropic focus in education, music arts and culture, health and other humanitarian actions that contribute to the promotion and protection of national heritage and culture.”
The foundation has so far identified six programs to guide its interventions; these include Education, health and HIV/Aids, Environment, Community Development.
“The program areas have been selected with the aim of improving access to education and new technologies, bridging the digital divide, supporting long tem fight against killer diseases, contributing to environment protection and conservation of biodiversity, providing shelter, and creation of employment opportunities,” said a statement from MTN on November 12.
According to MTN, the Foundation is also meant to boost the growth of the nation and communities through the stimulation of equitable social and economic development.
The foundation will be financed by a yet to named percentage of MTN's annual Profit after Tax (PAT). So far, MTN has spent UGX1.3 billion and UGX570 million on educations and housing projects in Uganda, in the last 10 years.
The MTN Foundation comes just a month after Celtel, Uganda's inaugural telecommunications company launched its Education Fund worth over UGX200 million, to promote literacy among Ugandan children and youths.
These initiatives may also prompt Uganda Telecom (UTL), another telecommunication company which is already in operational, to launch one of their own Foundations. And Utl's might not just be the end of it.
This is because, two more telecommunication companies namely; Warid Telecom and Hits Telecom are rolling out their network infrastructure in the communities all over the country. To cement their relationship with the customers, they might be forced to address similar community problems.
Besides this new initiative, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, MTN also extends assistance to civil society through initiatives like Habitat for Humanity, MTN UCONNECT and the Annual MTN Kampala Marathon, which is due in early December.
