MTN supports two districts in Upper West with boreholes

Tuma (U/W), Dec.17, GNA - Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) Ghana Foundation has provided 20 boreholes for communities in the Lawra and Wa East districts at a cost of 178,000 Ghana cedis. Twelve communities in the Lawra District benefited from the boreholes while eight communities in the Wa East District also benefited. Mr. Frazier Appeadu Malcolm, an Advisor to MTN Ghana Foundation, inaugurated the facilities at separate functions at Tuma and Tanina as part of its third anniversary celebration.

He said it was the vision of the MTN Ghana Foundation to make the people more self-reliant and sufficient in terms of water requirement thereby reducing the burden of women and children walking long distances in search of water.

Mr. Malcolm said the project also sought to improve sanitation and help reduce the incidence of water related health problems such as trachoma, diarrhea and bilharzias among others. He said 20 water point maintenance committees had been formed in the beneficiary communities to educate the people on the need for better healthy practices to help ensure the sustainability of the project. The committees would also have 100 water and sanitation members with 20 for each community and 20 hygiene educators on personal and environmental hygiene.

Mr. Malcolm said MTN Ghana Foundation had within the past three years undertaken development projects in the three northern regions. He mentioned the Academy for Educational Development (AED) project in Tamale, as one of them, which would enhance literacy and numeracy in five basic schools.

The project, which is still in its pilot stage, would soon be extended to cover 25 schools and would benefit about 10,000 pupils. It will also build a community school at Zujung next year. Mr. Malcolm said MTN Ghana Foundation was in the process of establishing ultra modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT) learning centres and equip them with 20 computers, printers, modems and webcams in Tolon, Hamile and Pwalugu to help promote the learning of ICT among pupils.

He said 1,000 schools bags were also distributed to students of Kundungu Primary and Junior High School in the Wa East District and children of Tempelle Kindergarten and Dondometeng Primary and Junior High Schools in the Lawra District.

The MTN Ghana Foundation has so far invested 3,300,000 Ghana cedis in various corporate social responsibility projects including the completion of the refurbishment of the second floor of the Korle Bu Maternity Block and the development of the 10 ICT learning centres in 10 regions. 17 Dec 10