MTN Commissions New School Block, ICT Centre in Tamale

As part of activities marking its fifth year of social interventions in the country, MTN Ghana Foundation –the corporate social responsibility arm of Mobile Telecommunications Network (MTN), has commissioned a 20-seater Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Centre and a three-unit JHS block for the Kanvilli Presbyterian Basic School in Tamale in the Northern Region.

At a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony to handover the facilities to management of the school, General Manager for the Northern Business District of MTN-Ghana James Basintale, said the main purpose was to promote conducive learning environment for the children of Kanvilli and its surrounding communities to enhance their academic performance, and to give them equal opportunities like their counterparts in the urban areas.

The Kanvilli Presbyterian Basic School was evidently one of the good schools in the Tamale Metropolis but unfortunately lacked basic educational infrastructure. Due to high rate enrollment at the beginning of each academic year (645 pupils), the classrooms were always congested and took over 90 students that certainly was not conducive for enhancing academic work.

This was the need MTN Ghana Foundation identified and intervened with a total investment of GH¢159,983.91 to build a new Junior High School block including store, office and ICT centre. 

According to Mr. Basintale, the MTN Ghana Foundation expected to achieve improvement in academic records of pupils from the school and region; pupils transitioning smoothly into JHS; and the number of users who would enjoy a better and conducive atmosphere and access to digitized information to triple.

This would serve over 15 communities and in excess of 60,000 people, he said stressing that “MTN is hopeful the people living in and around Kanvilli will take advantage and educate their wards.”

Chairman of the Parent, Teacher Association (PTA) Alhaji Abdul-Razak Saani thanked MTN for their contribution towards ensuring quality basic education in the country particularly in the North.

He, on behalf of management of the Kanvilli Basic School, promised to take very good care of the facilities provided, but like Oliver Twist, appealed to MTN to build a Senior High School in the region to further provide opportunities to other children.    

The MTN Ghana Foundation since its inception in 2007 has invested over GH¢9,724,415.00 million into health, education and economic empowerment projects across the country. The support takes various forms which include building school blocks, refurbishing old structures, providing ICT infrastructure, educational and non-educational materials.

For instance, some of the social interventions in the past few years include refurbishment of Korle-Bu second floor maternity ward, Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital, Akropong School for the Blind, Scholarships for needy but brilliant students, and bore-holes for communities in the Upper West Region. 

In the Northern Region, the MTN Ghana Foundation invested over GH¢1,106,000.00 projects which include a support Zuyung Basic School, Tamale Senior High School, Tamale Teaching Hospital, provision of potable water in ten districts, presentation of key medical equipment to Chereponi Polyclinic and among others.

Launched in 1994, MTN is a global telecommunications group, operating in 21 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The countries are: Afghanistan, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic, Iran, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code: "MTN".