Global ICT giant, Huawei Technologies was adjudged the best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Information Communication Technology (ICT) Company of the year at the 5^th edition of the prestigious Ghana CSR Excellence Awards.

The award is the only CSR-focused award which is modeled after the European CSR Awards and concentrates mainly on how businesses respond to their internal and external stakeholders, environment and the society at large. This year the ceremony was held at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel on 9^th November, 2015.

Commenting on the awards, the Director for Public and Government Affairs, Geoffrey Li, said that “Huawei Technologies is a responsible corporate citizen that is committed to contributing significantly to the development of the communities and people in the regions where we operate.”

He added that, Huawei considers CSR as part of its operations and has over the years invested significantly in various CSR initiatives and as a people-oriented company, Huawei will continues to drive positive changes for a better connected world.

Huawei’s CSR in Ghana

This year Huawei has undertaken significant CSR activities, managers believe merited the award. “The Huawei Ghana Seeds for the Future Program” was launched in June and will run for four years till 2019.

This is Huawei’s global flagship and the most heavily invested CSR initiative that seeks to develop local ICT talents, enhance knowledge transfers and improve people’s understanding and interest in the telecommunications industry.  

In Ghana, 75 brilliant students will benefit from this CSR programme with the five year period. Some 15 students excelling in various ICT disciplines would be selected each year to take part in innovative ICT training in China. This year, the first batch of young graduates who were selected from both public and private universities took part in the life changing experience in China and have already returned with certificates and wealth of knowledge in ICT and Telecommunications.

Prior to that the company after media reports on the ‘Poor State of the Accra Central Library’ approached the Ghana Library Authority and signed a memorandum of understanding where, Huawei Technologies Ghana agreed to renovate the Reference Room, Lending Room, ICT Center, the Children’s Library and the Exhibition Center into ultramodern standards.

The first phase of the project which included the renovation of the Reference and Lending rooms as well as the ICT Center which Huawei furnished with 30 computers was completed in the later part of 2014. The second phase which covers the Children’s library and the exhibition center have been completed this year and set to commence full operations by December.

Contribution to Health

Huawei has contributed significantly to healthcare as well with the donation of USD 100,000 to Ngleshie Amanfrom Community for the construction of a public toilet to encourage healthy environment and proper sanitation. The company also undertook a joint CSR with Telecommunications giant MTN Ghana to donate and ultramodern Neonatal and Intensive Care Unit (NICU) to the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) to aid the delivery of quality healthcare to babies.

Other CSR in the past has included donation of 4 ultra modern ICT Laboratories to the all four major public universities namely University of Cape Coast (UCC) in Cape Coast, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, University of Ghana (UG) at Legon and the University of Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale, a donation of USD 50,000 to the Atta Mills Foundation, donations to the Children’s and Pediatric Emergency Wards of 37 Military Hospital and to the Presidential Encounter with Well-Behaved Students among others

Ongoing CSR

Currently Huawei continues to contribute significantly to the development and penetration of ICT in Ghana through CSR initiatives with ongoing constructions of Community Information Centers (CICs) in about four communities across Ghana and expected to be completed in late 2015 and early 2016.

“Huawei will continue to give back to communities as well as contribute to the development of the people for an accelerated growth and development in Ghana.” Geoffrey concluded.