MTN Ghana Foundation announced on Wednesday that it was celebrating its third year of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Ghana with the implementation of eight projects in health and education valued at GH�487,000 in deprived communities.
A statement issued by Georgina Asare Fiagbenu, Senior Manager Corporate Communications, Corporate Services Division, named the projects as inauguration of 20 newly constructed boreholes in the Upper West Region,
construction of a three-unit classroom block for the Asempaneye Primary School in partnership with Rotary Club International in the Eastern Region
and inauguration of the refurbished Kpedze Health Centre in the Volta Region.
The rest are sponsorship of an education project to increase literacy and numeracy in Primary and Senior High Schools at Nadowli Upper West Region, sponsorship of the 4th Annual Disability Games in Accra, construction of a Library Complex for Tsito Senior High School, a three-unit classroom block at Akatsi in the Volta Region and sponsorship of 20 schools to participate in the Spelling-Bee competition.
The statement said MTN Ghana Foundation had over the past three years already invested a total of GH�3.1 million in various CSR projects.
These include the completion of the refurbishment of the 2nd Floor of the Korle Bu Maternity Block and the development of 10 ICT Learning Centres in 10 regions, currently ongoing.
Others are the construction of an Intensive Care Unit at the Princess Marie Louise Children's Hospital and the Academy for Educational Development Basic schools project in the Northern Region that will impact the lives of more than 10,000 children in the Region.
The statement said the Foundation had also been the single largest sponsor of the National Best Teacher Awards within the last three years.
It said MTN continued to implement a scholarship scheme from which 1,000 people had benefited and many of the beneficiaries were now serving in various sectors of the economy.
The Foundation also organises Christmas parties for children in selected regions across the country.
Mr Robert Kuzoe, Executive Secretary of the MTN Ghana Foundation, said the Foundation was proud to have touched lives with the projects undertaken over the past three years.
He said: "The positive results on the communities have made the Foundation more determined and committed to pursuing more CSR projects in the coming year to support social and economic development of the communities in which MTN operates.
"We find it fulfilling to support projects which will improve people's access to quality education and health. Though the Foundation is only three years old, it has chalked tremendous successes in promoting health and education in Ghana and we remain committed to give back to our communities in the coming years of MTN's operations in Ghana."
MTN Ghana was recently adjudged the best CSR Company of the year at the prestigious Ghana Club 100 awards.
MTN Ghana Staff Employees were also adjudged winners of MTN Group's 100,000-dollar prize for outstanding employee volunteerism exhibited during the 2010 Yello Care programme.
The statement said the amount would be used by staff of MTN Ghana to initiate new projects in various communities across the nation.