MTN Rwanda and L3 distribute scholastic material to Rwandan schools 


MTN CENTER, Nyarutarama: MTN staff members today started the distribution of scholastic material aimed at improving the quality of primary education.

The exercise is part of MTN’s \”21 Days of Y’ello Care,\” under the theme \”Investing in Education for All.\” MTN is partnering with the USAID-funded Literacy, Language, and Learning (L3) Initiative, which is implemented by the Education Development Center (EDC), for the project.

During the next 5 days, MTN and L3 will deliver world-class print and audio instructional materials (including SD-memory cards) to 90 schools in Gasabo, Karongi, Rulindo, Bugesera, and Huye districts.  The materials, developed by L3 and the Rwanda Education Board (REB), facilitate ‘Primary One’ (P1) and ‘Primary Two’ (P2) English, Kinyarwanda, and Math lessons, equipping children with the literacy and numeracy skills they need to succeed. The 90 schools are piloting the materials, which will ultimately benefit all public schools across the country in grades P1 to P4. Delivery of audio instructional material and cards is in line with MTN’s new vision of introducing learners to a bold, new digital world.

By partnering with well-established government offices, local organizations, and projects such as the L3 Initiative, MTN officials said that they would ensure that its efforts for the ’21 Days Of Y’ello Care’ are strategically targeted and expertly advised for maximum impact. This year alone the campaign was valued at slightly over Rwf45 million.

During the distribution exercise MTN employees will engage in renovations of selected schools and also read storybooks in classrooms.

\”Stories are an integral part of L3\’s literacy program,\” said L3 Deputy Chief of Party Solange Ngoga. \”Stories show children that reading is enjoyable, and they encourage children to develop a life-long love of reading. The more they read, the better readers they\’ll become. \”

MTN Rwanda’s Chief Executive Officer Khaled Mikkawi said that the issue of education is a key priority for most countries, and as we head towards the deadline for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), at MTN we believe this is a matter of urgency.

“According to the UN each additional year of schooling can increase a person’s income by up to 10 percent, and raises average annual GDP by 0.37 percent. By focusing on education, MTN hopes to impact the lives of millions of families and sustainably transform their future by opening them up to the world of opportunities that education offers,” he said.

“In Rwanda a number of activities have been lined-up for staff members from which students particularly those from nursery and primary will benefit,” he added.

The seventh annual ‘21 Days of Y’ello Care’ programme kicked off on 1st June 2013. As in previous years, the campaign runs three weeks long to enable staff members to participate without compromising day-to-day business operations.
MTN Rwanda staff members join their colleagues across Africa and the Middle East in a 21 day-long campaign, roll up their sleeves in an effort to uplift communities, and give their neighborhoods a “Y’ello” touch!

Note to the Editors:

The ‘21 Days of Y’ello Care’ campaign is an annual employee volunteerism initiative launched by MTN in 2007. It aims to secure high participation levels by staff in high impact social projects in their local communities. Since its inception seven years ago, the campaign has proved to be a phenomenal success that profiles MTN as a caring and socially responsible company. Each year MTN strive to improve the effectiveness of the campaign, and choose themes that are socially relevant. The main objectives of the campaign is to make a visible and sustained contribution to the societies in which MTN operates to provide  an  opportunity  for  MTN  staff  to  actively  contribute  to community development and be inspired by ‘giving back’

About MTN Rwanda
Serving you since 1998, MTN Rwanda continues to expand its network, offering new and innovative packages and services. According to RURA, MTN Rwanda had registered more than 3.5 million subscribers by end of May 2013. Our mobile money platform, MTN Mobile Money has slightly over 600,000 subscribers and has transacted volumes of over Rwf90 billion in Rwanda.


About L3/USAID Initiative:
Funded by USAID, the L3 Initiative is implemented by Education Development Center (EDC) in partnership with REB and with assistance from Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), Concern Worldwide, International Education Exchange, and the Peace Corps.