In the Past 3 three years MTN Rwanda spent half a billion Frw in CSR services

{{MTN Rwanda through its MTN Foundation has spent half a billion Rwandan Francs in the past 3 years in assisting Rwandans in the sectors of Health, Education and Economic empowerment.
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This was revealed by the MTN Foundation’s Department in charge of Corporate Social Responsibility services at MTN Rwanda service Centre.

In exclusive Interview with the Department, IGIHE learnt that the Foundation was created with a focus on giving back to society and “Impacting the quality of lives of Rwandan communities in a meaningful way.

{{IGIHE}}: {Briefly tell us about MTN Rwanda’s Corporate Social Responsibility services? }

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MTN Foundation-Department of CSR}}: The MTN Foundation is the vehicle through which MTN implements its Corporate Social Responsibility programme. The Foundation was created with a focus on giving back to society and “Impacting the quality of lives in our communities” in a meaningful way. The Foundation is passionate about MTN Rwanda’s vision to positively impact lives in our communities therefore we intervene through projects in three key areas, namely: a. Economic Empowerment b. Health c. Education By focusing our efforts on these 3 key areas, we are able to concentrate on basic needs and design projects that empower people, are sustainable and have maximum impact. MTN Foundation distinguishes itself from many others in a number of respects:

Firstly, it confines itself to specific areas on engagement, to which it channels its funds and endeavors to develop programs, which are meaningful and sustainable. In other words, MTN Foundation was not set up to distribute ad-hoc donations, and court the attendant publicity. The decision to concentrate on the areas of health, education and economic empowerment was based on output from a series of highly interactive sessions with NGO’s, private and public sector leaders as well as community based organizations.

Secondly, the Foundation is in a truly unique position to give back to society on a sustainable basis. It enjoys 100 percent funding from MTN Rwanda, which gives it up to 1 percent of its post-tax profits and covers all its overhead expenses including staffing, accommodation, travel, publicity and all expenses necessary to operate.

Thirdly, MTN Foundation carries out its work in partnership with government, its agencies, and credible local and international development partners. This strategy ensures that the Foundation can leverage on the skills and expertise of existing agencies, which means that it can deploy its resources more efficiently, and to areas of real need.

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IGIHE}}:{ How much effort do you put in such services and how far are Rwandans who benefit from each of the programs you mentioned before?}

{{MTN Foundation-Department of CSR}}: In total, MTN Rwanda has spent half a billion Rwandan Francs in the past 3 years in assisting Rwandans in the sectors of Health, Education and Economic empowerment.

{{• ICT}} : 15 Schools connected country wide, 540 computers distributed , More than 15MB free internet, More than 25,000 students benefited from the project and more than 450 teachers trained on ICT.

{{•Scholarship}}: In partnership with Imbuto Foundation Currently 100 underprivileged students are under the MTNF scholarship program worth 90 Million covering students from S1 to S6.

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• Operation Smile}}: 1680 Rwandese benefited from free cleft lip surgery, 89 Health care professionals trained and this project worth more than Rwf 33 million.

{{IGIHE}}: {UP To now, which categories of people that you support through your CSR programs and how do you select them? }

MTN Foundation-Department of CSR : In the last 3 years, MTN has been involved in the below projects:

1. Education
2. Scholarships
3. 21 Days of Y’ello Care
4. Community & Health
5. Operation smile
6. Genocide commemoration
7. Blood donation
8. Disaster and emergency support
9. Supporting government initiatives of Nyakatsi (Avega members)
10. Mutuel de sante (Health insurance)
11. {{Environment }}
 Tree planting
 Environmental friendly generators & Antennas
 Me to U
12. {{Poverty reduction}}
 Supporting vulnerable families with Cows
 Supporting cooperatives
 Distribution channel
13. {{Workforce (CSR for MTN Staff) }}
 Housing funds
 Sports
 Restaurant facilities
 Medical insurance
 HIV/AIDS support
 Pension Fund
 Education Support
 Life Insurance
 Airtime & Handset allowance
 Wedding Support

The MTN Foundation sponsors projects which meet the following criteria:
 Projects that are in line with priorities defined by the Government of the Republic of Rwanda
 Projects that are favour partnership and sharing of resources
 Projects that are in compliance with the Foundation’s vision and/or specific organizations
 Projects that can effectively be executed within the prescribed deadline
 Projects that match the philosophy of sustainable development
 Projects that can have an impact on the community
 Projects that are feasible
 Projects that are confirmed to meet the expectations of the beneficiaries
 Projects that are non-profit making

{{IGIHE}}: {Which plans does MTN Rwanda have in the near future to keep contributing to the wellbeing of local communities? }

MTN Foundation-Department of CSR : The Case for Education:
• MTN’s Priorities:
 Drive growth by focusing on competitiveness
 Focus on math, science, and technology: help learners acquire the skills and qualifications to compete and perform in global economy

The Case for Health:
• MTN’s Priorities:
 Focus on prevention and treatment of key diseases, including HIV/Aids and malaria
 Care programmes for those afflicted and affected
 Special attention paid to programmes that reinforce priority on education–those that focus on children’s health and/or ability to be in school

The Case for Enterprise development:
• Intervention types:
 Entrepreneurial skills development
 Business Infrastructure, facilities and equipment
 Access to finance and resources

{{MTN Foundation CSR-In Pictures
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{{Operation Smile}}