MTN Uganda Foundation on Tuesday launched a partnership with SOS Children’s Villages, an international child care organization in Uganda that will see the telecom company inject Shs330m in SOS Uganda’s Retention for Completion project.
The Retention for Completion project was developed by SOS Children’s Villages.
Its aim is to increase attendance and retention of over 3,700 school children (1800 boys and 1900 girls) in 20 community primary schools where SOS Children’s Villages operate in Gulu, Kabarole, Entebbe and Wakiso districts. MTN Uganda team was led by the Senior Manager, Corporate Affairs Justina Ntabgoba, who represented the Chief Executive Officer Wim Vanhelleputte.
Launching the partnership, Ntabgoba said, “At MTN, we are cognizant of the right of children to a well-balanced education. We therefore commit to continuously identify partners who will champion our mission to make our children’s lives and that of our customers better.”
She added that MTN was particularly moved by a handwritten letter from one of the children under SOS Uganda’s care requesting for MTN’s support in ensuring that her fellow children attend school.
“I was therefore pleased to learn that MTN Uganda and SOS Villages share the same values in community service.
We both have an incredible passion to make a difference in the communities that we live and work in, the world over. Bound by this belief in ensuring that the well-being of the less advantaged little members of our society are met, I predict a continuous mutual partnership between MTN and SOS Villages Uganda going forward.”
MTN’s donation will ensure that all the children’s learning will be facilitated with a midday meal, school uniforms, scholastic materials namely pens, pencils, geometry sets and school textbooks with accompanying Teacher guides.
To ensure that the girls remain in school they will be provided with Girl kits, which is a self-support health package containing reusable sanitary towels, panties and medicated soap for use during their menses.
The partnership was launched at the SOS Children Village branch in Kakiri, 25 kilometres north-west of the capital Kampala. Similar SOS Villages are located in Gulu, Kabarole and Entebbe, altogether providing a home and social welfare to over 13,000 disadvantaged children.
Olive Lumonya, the National Director of SOS Children Villages Uganda hailed MTN Uganda for partnering with SOS in their project to make a difference in the lives of the children under her care.
Noting that this was the single biggest contribution by a corporate company so far, Lumonya encouraged other companies to support and fill the funding gap and come to the rescue of the children.
