On Thursday 10th, February 2021, the Uganda Red Cross Society (URCS) awarded MTN Foundation; a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm for MTN Uganda with the Humanitarian Recognition Award, as an acknowledgment of the Foundation’s tremendous support towards the URCS’ lifesaving interventions in response to disasters among other emergencies.
The URCS Secretary-General, Mr. Robert Kwesiga while handing over the award to MTN Uganda’s General Manager, Ms. Enid Edroma —thanked MTN for being a reliable partner to the URCS initiatives.
“We are honored to have a great humanitarian partner in MTN Foundation Uganda, which has unwaveringly supported us and the people of Uganda over the years. And for the last two years during the Covid-19 pandemic, they took their support several notches higher, something that enabled us to protect and save lives across the country,” Kwesiga said. “It is therefore with great pleasure that URCS presents this award to MTN Foundation Uganda,” he added.
Ms. Edroma accepted the award on behalf of MTN Uganda CEO, Mr. Wim Vanhellpeute —expressing MTN’s profound gratitude towards URCS for the noble recognition award. “We take such great honor in this award, and we remain committed to our duty as a corporate citizen,” said Ms. Edroma.
MTN has always and is concerned about the welfare of the communities in which they operate, for their business can only thrive in thriving communities, hinged on the company’s belief that we are good together.
The Humanitarian Recognition Award was in recognition of MTN Foundation’s response to complementing the government’s initiatives during national crises to save lives, working through URCS.
In 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic hit the country, MTN immediately worked through URCS and the Ministry of Health to support the high-risk areas such as markets that remained open when the country was under lockdown. MTN Foundation Uganda collaborated with URCS to implement and enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on Covid-19 prevention in 15 high traffic markets in Kampala metropolitan with funding totaling UGX297 million for 3 months, thereby curbing the spread of the deadly virus and saving lives.
Ms. Edroma said, “MTN was the first corporate company to pledge support to government and people of Uganda in fighting the Covid-19 with over UGX2 billion spent in various interventions to uplift communities from the pandemic effects in the last two years.”
Notably, MTN Foundation was recognized for being the first corporate entity to help the people of Kasese who were affected by floods, donating UGX41 million to support the delivery of 100 non-food relief kits to the affected families. Furthermore, the Foundation was also hailed as the first company on the ground when Bundibugyo flooded in back in December 2019. In the same year still, the Foundation worked through URCS to reach out to the Bududa mudslide victims.
“We are so grateful to the leadership of MTN Uganda and the technical team for always responding very fast whenever an emergency happens in the country, and most importantly, choosing to reach the affected families through the Uganda Red Cross Society,” Kwesiga said.
Established in 2007, MTN Foundation Uganda has undertaken a plethora of initiatives in the areas of health, education, youth empowerment as well as key national priority areas through government and private partnerships.
