MTN Ghana Foundation has begun the 2008 edition of the 21 Days of Y’ello Care Programme. The programme, which was instituted last year by MTN Group’s CEO is carried out across all 21 operating units of MTN and focuses on community-development activities. The activity has been instituted by the MTN Group to encourage employees of MTN to be personally involved in community development projects. On Wednesday June 3rd, staff of MTN Ghana started the event by undertaking a road safety education exercise in some principal streets of Accra whilst staff in Takoradi assisted the police to direct traffic. A section of the employees led by the Corporate Services Director Ms Mawuena Dumor visited the Akropong School of the blind to make a donation. Employees led by the Chief Executive Officer also painted sections of the Princess Marie Louise (Children’s Hospital) in Accra on Thursday June 5, 2008. In Kumasi, MTN Employees painted the Kwadaso SDA Primary school. On Saturday June 7, clean up exercises took place simultaneously in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Atimpoku. From the Kwame Nkrumah Circle overhead bridge in Accra gutters to the Obetsebi Lamptey roundabout Accra, MTN employees with the assistance of Zoomlion Ghana swept the streets and cleaned. Staff in Takoradi were joined by the Chief Financial Officer of MTN Ghana to clean the Takoradi Market circle whilst Kumasi staff cleaned the Bantama High Street. Later on in the week MTN Directors interacted with students of the University of Ghana during a job fair. The Directors together with other employees shared their knowledge on interviewing skills and provided an orientation on career development with the students. According to the Board Chairman of the MTN Ghana Foundation, Prof. Franklin Manu, “MTN will continue to express its commitment to partnering with key stakeholders to provide necessary support to help improve the quality of life of communities in Ghana.” This year’s programme is expected to create greater impact on communities as a result of the increased number of projects being undertaken. Some of the activities that are yet to be undertaken include grassing of football pitches, donations of books, toys and medical supplies to selected institutions and painting of Zebra crossings. Some MTN employees have also offered to spend time with mothers and babies at selected hospitals. There will be blood donation exercises, teaching sessions and motivational sessions with different groups. Last year, the Employee Volunteer Association of MTN Ghana (EVA), in collaboration with the Ghana Health Services and the Ghana Education Service, undertook landscaping and painting activities at selected schools in Accra, Takoradi, and Kumasi, and also organized a health screening and health walk to educate the public on healthy lifestyles. Source: MTN