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On the morning of Saturday 10th September 2022, the people of Bunyoro Kitara kingdom took to the streets of Kiryandongo to kick start the long-awaited “egaali za masaza” bicycle races sponsored by MTN Uganda.

The bicycle races were launched in the Kiryandongo district where the riders in anticipation of the races assembled at the Kiryandongo stadium where they set off for the official launch of the MTN-Bunyoro kingdom bicycle races.

The races will take place in all 13 counties of Bunyoro Kitara kingdom where the winners will be selected to represent their counties at the final race in Hoima district.

Alex Katushabe, the Chief administrative officer was present at the bicycle race launch standing in as a representative of Bunyoro Kitara kingdom’s Prime Minister Andrew Byakutaga who was unable to make it.

“With the great support from MTN Uganda, we will be able to transverse the 13 counties of Bunyoro Kitara kingdom and reach out to all our people to allow them the opportunity of taking part in this race,” Katushabe said, “we are thankful to the people of Bunyoro Kingdom because we have had positive feedback in response to the races and people have been peaceful even now at the start.” 

The launch race was won by Johnson Agaba coming in at the number 1 position, followed by Wilson Bwansi in second place, Patrick Senyonjo in third place, Emmanuel Yokosan in fourth place, and Hassan Ibrahim in the fifth position. All the winners were awarded a cash prize.

The bicycle races had one female participant named Catherine Atugonza who took on the men in an impressive tight competition and won a cash prize of UGX 100,000 and secured a spot to compete in the final race in Hoima where she will represent Kiryandongo.

Israel Kiiza, one of the participants in the bicycle races, thanked MTN for giving them the opportunity to enter a bicycle race competition.

“I am very grateful to MTN Uganda that I get to enter a sports competition because I have never had the chance before, but thanks to MTN I can now showcase my talent.” Said Kizza.

The first-ever bicycle race competition sponsored by MTN Uganda was recently successfully concluded in Tooro Kingdom. Another similar race is happening in the Ker Alur Kingdom with more such races to be launched in other communities.

MTN Uganda is committed to championing cultural heritage to foster unity and togetherness through sponsoring sports initiatives that also act as a platform for talent identification and a place to create awareness around social issues to bolster community growth and development.

MTN Uganda joins the people of Tooro today to celebrate the 27th coronation anniversary of His Majesty, the Omukama King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV.

Speaking at the coronation anniversary celebrations held at the King’s palace in Fort Portal today, MTN’s Acting CEO Andrew Bugembe expressed his gratitude to the Omukama for championing development in his kingdom through among others, projects the Obukama jointly executes with MTN. “We are honoured that through the partnership with the Obukama of Tooro, “MTN has and continues to have the opportunity of engaging with communities in areas of strengthening cultural ties, improving health services and participating in sports – all of which are a strong force in fostering cohesion and development across the kingdom”, he said. 

Bugembe went on to pay tribute to the King for personally engaging in the initiatives MTN has undertaken together with the Kingdom.

MTN in partnership with Tooro kingdom have over the years worked together to execute several initiatives for the benefit of the communities in Tooro. Most recently, the two institutions concluded the “Obugali Bwa Masaza” bicycle races competition between the counties that make up Tooro. Earlier this year, the partnership successfully executed the Masaza football tournament held in all 9 counties of Tooro

And during the difficult time of the pandemic, MTN worked together with the Obukama to alleviate the suffering the community were going through by equipping heath centres in the kingdom with much needed Oxygen.

Tooro kingdom’s Prime Minister Stephen Kiyingi applauded MTN for their willingness to create partnerships that support communities. “I would like to recognize MTN Uganda for their efforts in improving the socio-cultural well-being of the people of Tooro through various health, education, and sports initiatives. I look forward to sustaining the momentum built over the years,” he committed.

The MTN-sponsored bicycle races “Obugali Bwa Masaza” were successfully concluded last week with His Royal Highness King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV taking part in the finale. The races were held as a precursor to the 27th coronation anniversary celebrations. In 2020, MTN reached out to the community with a donation of 80 hospital beds and the refurbishment of Kijuura Health Centre III in Fort Portal. This initiative has greatly improved access to maternal health services in the area.  

MTN seeks to work with institutions like the Obukama to make markable interventions that will in time contribute to the transformation of communities. “At MTN, we believe we can only succeed if the communities in which we operate succeed,” Mr Bugembe noted in conclusion.

Glorious Widows, a group that consists of widows, orphans, and women living with HIV/AIDS in the Makindye Division in Kampala has seen its tailoring business rebound on the back of the MTN Uganda staff initiative.

The group which started 22 years ago, deals in making dresses, suits as well as bags as a business to support their families. With 120 members, the group also helps members have access to education in relation to living positively with HIV/AIDS and drugs.

Although the members had weathered numerous storms to remain in the tailoring business, the COVID19 pandemic almost took them out of business due to reduced production resulting to low demand. Even so as the COVID 19 restriction were lifted this did not provide any reprieve as customers had moved on to new suppliers who had upgraded their equipment giving a much more improved service. The glorious widows were still using an old fashioned tailoring technique with old fashioned sewing machines unlike other garments shops that had moved on with the times. 

Faced with this situation, MTN Uganda through a recommendation from Kampala Capital City Authority’s directorate Gender and Community services provided six industrial and singer electrical sewing machines in June this year under the 21 Days of Y’ello Care campaign to help in the quick recovery of their business.

Justine Nanteza, the director and founder of Glorious Windows said the new machines came with extra training that has boosted their production volumes.

 “With these fast and none-tiresome digital machines, we can produce 100 from???? bags and other clothing products per day and earn faster income once taken to the market,” she said.

Nanteza said the new sewing machines and the now promising tailoring business has attracted more women living with HIV/AIDS in the Makindye Division to join the group with the hope to improve their livelihoods and that of their households.

She said the goal for the group is to ensure that every group member earns some income. “I want to see that everyone is earning some income through making products for sell,” she said.

She also said they are in such of a new home for their business as they have grown in number and are attracting more women living positively.

Bryan Mbasa, Senior Manager MTN Uganda Foundation said they are excited that the campaign has created a positive impact on the communities in which the company operates.

 “We consider sustainability as a very key part of our initiatives that we do both as corporate social responsibility and as a business in general,” he said, adding that they look forward to reaching out to more communities on skilling, work readiness, and innovation culture for start-up and Small and Medium Enterprises.

MTN Uganda also extended support to the Tesobar deaf carpentry group in Lira, the Masaka Diocese Youth, the Jinja-based Tabulera Kawuma deaf carpentry, the disabled association of Fort Portal,  Bunusya Abarema Twetungure Association in Mbarara, Focus for Life Development Link in Kawempe, Missionaries of the poor in Rubaga and the Nakawa Market Vendors Association.

Launched in 2007, 21 Days of Y’ello care is a global award-winning staff initiative that sees MTN staff step out of their offices every year, to make a difference in the lives of the communities within which they work. 

Some of the past initiatives in Uganda include a successful two-day career expo and various training, mentorship, and entrepreneurship programs aimed at tackling youth unemployment to positively impact communities countrywide.

 

With the final action of the 5th edition of the MTN-Sponsored Busoga Cup Tournament set to happen on the 17th of this month, MTN Uganda yesterday announced a discount for the ordinary tickets to the long-awaited Busoga Cup final for the fans who will pay using MTN MoMo.

In a press conference held yesterday at the Busoga Kingdom headquarters in Jinja, John Paul Okwi, the MTN Uganda Sponsorship, and Events manager confirmed that the ordinary tickets to the final match between Kigulu FC and Bukhooli-Namayingo FC will go for Ugx.3,000/= via MTN MoMo, down from Ugx.5,000/= for the fans who will pay in cash at the gate.

“The Busoga Cup football tournament has been an exciting one this year. We have been watching from a distance and indeed all is well.  Therefore, to ensure that more people get access to the final match, MTN has decided to discount the ordinary tickets from Ugx.5,000/= to Ugx.3,000/= for the fans who will pay through MTN MoMo. We are delighted to be part of an initiative that is making His royal highness William Gabula Nadiope IV the Kyabazinga of Busoga proud. Come in big numbers and let’s enjoy football,” Okwi said.

Okwi further added that during the final match, the MTN Kabode phone will be available in cash at Uganda shillings 249,000 and on installment payments while MTN simcards will go for as low as Uganda shillings 1000. All one needs is to have a national ID.

Amin Bbosa, the Sports Minister of Busoga Kingdom thanked MTN for partnering with the Kingdom, as well as the other co-sponsors whose efforts have made the tournament a success over the course of 4 months since its launch in May this year.

“This year’s edition has been very competitive compared to the past editions. I commend all the individuals who have tirelessly supported their respective Masaza teams. I urge you to come and witness the final match of this unprecedented tournament, Bbosa said. 

The unprecedented 5th edition of the Busoga Cup Tournament so far has a total of 92 goals scored, 113 yellow cards, and 4 red cards across 42 matches. The season’s highest scorer is Waiswa Kasango Arajabu from Bugabula.

Bbosa clarified that the finals, 3rd and 4th place matches will be played on 17th September 2022 at the Kyabazinga stadium Bugembe. The losers’ match will kick off at 1 pm whereas the final match between Kigulu and Namayingo FC shall be played at 3 pm. VIP ticket goes out at Uganda shillings 20,000 on a first come first serve basis since the number will be limited.

Bosa further revealed that the prizes are the same as earlier communicated, the winning team will walk away with Uganda shillings 10 million and a trophy, the first runners up Ugx.7 million, the second runners up Ugx.5 million and the fourth Ugx.3 million.

Also present at the press conference were; Musota Daniel the deputy sports minister, Richard Mafumo the minister for culture and Issa Magoola the chairman organizing committee, who in their respective capacities thanked the media and other stakeholders for their support and dedication to promoting unity through sports. 

This year’s edition of the Busoga Masaza cup has seen Busoga unite and more talents discovered. Bugabula and Bugembe have seen most of their players join Jinja North United a big-league team and many more players from different Masaza teams are being hunted by regional teams as they prepare for the 2022/2023 season.

The Ker Alur kingdom bicycle races continue to garner support as the residents and youth of Padyere county streamed into this weekend’s races. 

The bicycle races have been attracting a big number of youths who are passionate about their culture and sports activities in general with the goal of talent identification and the call to action in ending early marriages and teenage pregnancies.

As the competitions rave on, the eagerly awaited 12th coronation anniversary of the King of Ker Alur, His Royal Majesty Ubimu Philip Rauni III draws closer and with it brings joy and excitement. The coronation anniversary will take place in October with celebrations to mark the majestic end to the recent bicycle races.

This weekend was graced with participants from all chiefdoms in the country in anticipation of the upcoming coronation anniversary next month. The races have been graced with the King’s message that reproaches the vices of early marriages that result in school dropouts, teenage pregnancies, and increased mortality rates.

The MTN Ker Alur Padyere county women’s race was won by Charity Ayikuru who emerged number one in the competition held at the Nebbi playground in Nebbi municipality. Ayikuru was awarded two goats for her win as she remarkably competed against 30 other participants in a 7-kilometer race. Ayikuru maintained the same speed from the start point to the finish line showcasing great resilience and talent. She had the crowds ululating and cheering her on as she crossed the finish line.

“I am so pleased with my win because MTN has given me the opportunity to show that women too can compete in sports and win fairly. The two goats I have received will help me in making money to pay school fees for my young children so they can attain a brighter future.” Ayikuru said after winning the race.

Ayikuru added that this race was a learning point that they as a community should change their mindsets and sensitize their young girls to distance themselves away from early marriages and teenage pregnancy and put education as a top priority if they are to have a better future.

In the men’s race, Anthony Kumakech emerged as the winner, walking away with two goats while his father, Gilbert Opakrwoth was rewarded with one goat for being the most outstanding participant.

Hassan Sebilweriwa the Deputy RDC of Nebbi district, who also graced the bicycle race added his voice to the other leaders’ voices in sensitizing the Nebbi residents against the harmful traditional practices that endanger girls’ futures.  Also present were officials from Action Aid Uganda and Plan International who also applauded MTN for sponsoring the races that have eased the sensitization of the people in the KerAlur subregion against early marriages and teenage pregnancies.

The LC III Chairperson of Thatha division Ms. Opar Jacklyn applauded MTN Uganda for sponsoring the bicycle races that champion the message of ending early marriages and putting a stop to teenage pregnancies.

“These races have given us a platform to talk about the negative impact of early marriages that lead to school dropouts and teenage pregnancies. These girls are usually too young for marriage and childbirth and also don’t have access to health care which later results in raised mortality rates. We must put an end to this vicious practice and preserve our girls” said Ms. Opar Jacklyn.

MTN Uganda is partnering with the Ker Alur Kingdom to promote the kingdom’s cultural values and MTN Uganda’s CSR policy with the talent identification objectives under the theme “Ending Child Pregnancy and marriage in Alur land”.

The bicycle races are a build-up to the 12th coronation anniversary of the King of Ker Alur, His Royal majesty Ubimu Philip Rauni III, in October this year. This follows the partnerships between MTN and the Ker Alur kingdom signed in 2019

 

The MTN-sponsored Tooro Kingdom bicycle race competition dubbed “Obugaali Bwa Masaza” were concluded yesterday in the Western District of Fort portal. The finale was flagged off by His Royal Highness King Oyo Nyimba Kabamba Iguru Rukidi IV, by riding a section of the route together with the other race participants.

Stephen Kiyingi, the Tooro Premier lauded King Oyo for fully supporting co-curricular activities in the Kingdom, and the rest of the community for participating in the event. He pledged full support for such kind of activities always.

These inter-county bicycle racing competitions were launched two months ago as a precursor to the 27th coronation anniversary of the Omukama of Tooro. The MTN-sponsored Obugaali Bwa Masaza competition has traversed all the 9 counties of the Kingdom with the supreme goal of fostering unity and cultural pride among the people of Tooro.

According to Micheal Wandera, the Tooro Kingdom sports minister, a total of 90 riders from the 9 counties in the Kingdom of Tooro, actively participated in the 20 and 25 Kilometre races from Karuziika to Kihondo and back to Buhinga stadium.

Each of the 9 counties (Masaza) was represented by their top 10 cyclists; 5 of whom rode ordinary bicycles while the other 5 rode sports bicycles. The ordinary bicycle category comprising 45 cyclists was flagged off from the Karuziika Tooro Royal palace for a 20-kilometer race that ended at the Buhinga Stadium while the remaining 45 sports bike cyclists were flagged off at Kisenyi in Fort Portal town for a 25-kilometer race that similarly ended at the Buhinga stadium where the winners were recognized and rewarded in an event attended by thousands of people including MTN officials.

Under the ordinary (manual) bicycle race category, Kyaka county secured the first three positions in the ordinary bicycle race category, a victory that saw the riders walk away with assorted cash prizes starting from Ush.2,000,000/-, Kibale County held the 4th position while Burahya FC held the fifth position. They too walked away with cash prizes courtesy of MTN Uganda.

 

Under the Sport Bikes, Kyaka County still secured the first and third positions while Fort Portal County took the second, fourth and fifth positions. Each of the winners walked away with a cash prize. 

 

Speaking at the event, Godfrey Muhindo, the Chief Commercial Officer – MTN Mobile Money Uganda Limited, thanked the Omukama of Tooro for the great partnership that exists between MTN Uganda and the Kingdom.  

“As MTN, we are strongly grounded in the belief that we are good together. We only succeed if the communities in which we operate succeed. Being a partner in development also means that we must work together to harness the social-economic opportunities in our communities,” Muhindo said.

Muhindo concluded by thanking the people of Tooro for embracing the races and for using the competition as an opportunity to network and pride in the heritage of the Kingdom.

The bicycle race, which is also the first of its kind in the Kingdom, has been concluded successfully without any disruptions and accident cases.

Below are the 2022 MTN & Kingdom of Tooro Obugaali Bwa Masaza race winners.

Ordinary Bicycle Winners – 20 Kilometers
Position County Cyclists’ Name Cash Prize
1st Kyaka County Aziz Kugonza  2,000,000
2nd Kyaka County Dante Atuhaire 1,000,000
3rd Kyaka County Jean Kasana 750,000
4th Kibale County Emmanuel Bizimana 500,000
5th Burahya County Nicholas Mugenyi 250,000
Sports Bicycle Winners – 25 Kilometers
1st Kyaka County Alvin Ategeka 1,500,000
2nd Fort Portal County David Sheemu 1,000,000
3rd Kyaka County Huzairu Kaweesi 750,000
4th Fort Portal County Peter Asiimwe 500,000
5th Fort Portal County Robert Tugume 250,000

 

As the world celebrates and recognizes the International charity day this 5th September, MTN Uganda stands firm on the words of Mother Theresa “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

The International Day of Charity was established with the objective of sensitizing and mobilizing people, NGOs, and stakeholders all around the world to help others through volunteer and philanthropic activities. It also recognizes and celebrates the contribution of charitable organizations and the work they do to alleviate pain and suffering. The day honors Mother Theresa who is known worldwide for her charity acts throughout her life to create a better life for the sick and poor.

MTN Uganda has over the years shown its commitment in delivering digital solutions for Africa and harnessing the power of its leading brand to purposefully enable the benefits of a connected world to everyone.

It is therefore not surprising that as they continue to grow and reach out to various customers, they have strongly worked on the vision to promote a better life for all. As a business MTN understands that they depend and thrive on the communities in which they operate and it’s the responsibility of the company to support the people in the communities they operate in by complementing national efforts in areas where there is great need.

In 2007, the MTN Uganda Foundation was inaugurated as the MTN CSR arm birthed to solely give back to the community and further all CSR activities. The MTN Foundation is a not-for-profit entity with its own board of trustees to govern the entity. Every year MTN dedicates a percentage of their profit to CSR through the Foundation to extend hope to those in need.

The MTN Foundation serves to strategically improve 4 thematic areas that include Youth, Health, Education and ICT. As communities continuously evolve, these areas have been identified as areas that require an immediate boost to help improve and sustain the lives of millions to create a better future for all. 

 

MTN Uganda also continues the work of charity through the 21 Days of Y’ello care campaign, an annual MTN employee voluntarism initiative observed by all employees across all its markets to make a difference in the lives of the communities in which they work.

This year the 21 Days of Y’ello care proceeds were dedicated to helping the affected community groups get back on their feet in order to foster economic recovery after the COVID pandemic. The pandemic devasted a number of businesses and community groups due to the restrictions like nationwide lockdowns put in place to control the spread of the virus. A number of beneficiaries were recorded including but not least, orphanages, youth initiative groups and women led businesses.

The MTN Foundation in a bid to further spread hope and combat social challenges such as maternal and child mortality, has dedicated proceeds from the MTN Kampala Marathon that is run annually to bolstering and boosting maternal health. The MTN Kampala marathon has been ran in support of maternal health for the last 3 years.

Most recently, MTN reached out to the Mbale flood victims through the Uganda Red Cross Society with aid worth UGX 500 million to support the displaced families in the Elgon region with non-food relief kits. The non-food kits were to help 100 families slowly start up their lives with temporary homestead requirements such as cooking items and a tarpaulin for shelter. 

MTN Uganda remains steady fast in improving lives, supporting government initiatives and creating opportunities for people to live a more deserving life in these changing times. MTN continues to call upon other entities to uphold the pillars of charity and create a better tomorrow for all.

As schools reopen for the last school term of the year, paying school fees should be easy, safe and convenient. MTN MoMo provides a safe and seamless solution for school fees payment to more than 5,000 schools and institutions across the country. These institutions cut across kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools as well as universities and tertiary institutions.

According to Godfrey Muhindo the Chief Commercial Officer of MTN Mobile Money Uganda, parents are able to make such payments in the comfort of their homes in a matter of minutes using their mobile phones, via short code; *165*80# or through the MTN MoMo app.
Muhindo also notes that paying school fees through MTN MoMo is particularly convenient as the system keeps track of the outstanding school fees balance which enables further payments in case a parent chooses to pay fees in instalments.
Conan Businge the Head of marketing and student recruitment at Victoria University says that this method of school fees payment has afforded many parents and students the much-needed safety and convenience of paying their tuition, especially now as the University prepares for its September intake that is set to begin on the 19th of this month.

“In the spirit of making payments easier for our students, we had to work with telecoms including MTN, to provide our university with a secure and convenient way for them to pay their fees. Uganda is advancing toward a cashless economy. Therefore, as a university that amalgamates technology across its curricula, we embraced the MTN MoMo payment solution,” Businge says.

In further highlighting the safety of using MTN MoMo to pay for school fees, Businge noted that after making the payment, parents receive an instant proof of the payment in form of a text message, complete with a unique transaction ID number.
Parents who have already adopted this method of paying school fees equivocally admitted that paying school fees through MTN Mobile Money has changed their mindset towards the traditional payment method of cash.

Gloria Nandutu, a parent who has been paying her daughter’s school fees through MTN MoMo for the past couple of years, was quick to accept that it saves her time and effort. And most of all, allows her to keep close track of what used to be a big pain point in her life.
“All I had to do was request the school for my daughter’s student number,” Nandutu happily recalls.
That is the advantage of Mobile Money and the importance of a cashless economy.

How to pay school fees using MTN MoMo
To pay school fees using MTN MoMo, simply dial *165*80# or use the MTN MoMo app.
Enter the student number provided by the school. It will show you the student’s name and class plus outstanding balance.
Once you have confirmed the student details above, you can then enter the amount you want to pay and follow the remaining prompts.
At the end of the entire process, you will receive a text message confirming the success of the payment of school fees to the school. The text message provides a transaction ID that enables the payer to reconcile the school fees payment with the school effortlessly.

Missionaries of the Poor, Bethlehem Children Home in Busega, has been able to feed and steadily provide decent health care to vulnerable children under their wing after support from MTN Uganda’s staff initiative dubbed 21 days of yellow care.

Founded in 2010 under the leadership of Fr. Hayden Augustine—successor to Fr Philip Selvaraj and Br John Reddy, Bethlehem Children Home hosts over 120 boys, 66 of whom are deaf, dumb and mentally incapacitated. The other 60 children are able-bodied school-going children who were either abandoned at birth or left without caretakers after the demise of their parents.

The orphanage takes care of vulnerable children who they have taken of the streets or have been brought to them by poverty-stricken parents unable to care for them any longer. The home is sustained by the generous support from good Samaritans who aid their survival and continuity. However, just as every group, family and community was ravaged by the outbreak of the COVID 19 pandemic, the home was badly affected plunging their food supplies and eating into their saving to provide medical care for these vulnerable children.

With this huge gap in the required basic needs for these vulnerable children in the past two years, MTN Uganda recently stepped in and provided clothing, beddings, foodstuffs, cleaning agents, and wheelchairs for immobile children as well as computers for school-going ones at the Children’s Home.

Brother Joachim, the caretaker priest at the Missionaries of the Poor, Bethlehem Children Home, said it is has been a daily struggle to furnish the demanding needs of their children and provide all round care to them.

“We don’t have any business or income generating opportunities that can help us support this cause, that’s why it profoundly touches our heart every time MTN Uganda reaches out and supports our mission. MTN Uganda has aided our survival and granted the children more joy and hope for the future.”

 Joachim said that the MTN Uganda support has made the administration at the Bethlehem Children’s Home remain hopeful that things will continue to move in the direction envisioned in their mission.

He said despite the fact the children’s home faces tough times in meeting their needs, they have continued to pray to God to help them realize the message of Matthew 25:35-37 which is to  give shelter to the homeless, food to the hungry, clothe the needy, look after the sick and do to our brothers and sisters as we would to ourselves.

Bryan Mbasa, senior manager at MTN Uganda Foundation said they are excited that the campaign has continued to have a positive impact on the communities in which the company operates.

“We are glad that we have been able to put smiles on the faces of the children at Bethlehem Home through our support and we look forward to more collaborations and support,” he said.

Missionaries of the Poor was founded in 1981 by Father Richard Ho Lung a Chinese priest born in Jamaica where his misally began. His vision and mission were to reach out to all communities and pick up children who were orphans or who have been abandoned.

He opened up several homes around the world and across continents and some of the homes are located in Haiti, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, and Kenya. 

Other groups that received MTN support during the campaign, include; the Tesobar deaf carpentry group in Lira, the Masaka Diocese Youth,  Jinja-based Tabulera Kawuma deaf carpentry, the disabled association of Fortportal, the Bunusya Abarema Twetungure Association in Mbarara, the Glorious widows of Makindye, Focus for Life Development Link in Kawempe, and the Nakawa Market Vendors association.

The MTN’s 21 Days of Y’ello Care is an annual MTN staff volunteerism campaign observed by all MTN employees across all its markets.  The campaign that dates back to 2007 is executed within the first 21 days of June every year.

MTN Uganda Foundation and the official partners of the MTN Kampala Marathon in conjunction with the Ministry of health and UNFPA have officially today handed over a newly refurbished maternity ward inclusive of a state-of-the-art operating theatre at the Kalangala HC IV in a concerted effort to curb the raising maternal and child mortality rates in the region.

The MTN Kampala marathon that is run every year, for the last sixteen years has supported various causes ranging from providing safe water to water stressed areas in Uganda to providing sanitation facilities in schools among many interventions.

In the last three years however, maternal and child health have headlined the MTN Kampala Marathon with all the proceeds going towards complementing the government of Uganda’s efforts towards maternal health

This project is underpinned by MTN’s commitment to creating shared value and improving the lives of the people living in the communities within which it operates.

In a bid to uphold its commitment of investing in Uganda’s health sector, MTN Uganda aims to achieve the SDG 3 which focuses on health and well-being of people in communities. A total sum of Ugx.216 million was injected in the refurbishing and equipping of the maternity ward and the operating theater.

Kalangala district has a total of 84 islands and a continually changing population. The upgrading of the health center will aid in providing improved services to the numerous people in the region.

The auspicious occasion to hand over the newly refurbished maternity ward and operating theater was graced by district officials, the Ministry of Health and implementing partners such as UNFPA and Reproductive Health Uganda.

In his remarks to officiate the handover ceremony, Mr. Patrick Tusiime the Commercial Head central from MTN Uganda, relayed that this newly refurbished maternity ward and operating theater will give mothers and their children a safe and advanced medical facility where they can receive all round care.

“We believe that with the refurbishments made and the new equipment acquired at this facility will contribute to the periodic antennal visits made by pregnant women and also provide a safe environment for mothers whiling giving birth, this will help curb any anticipated issues in time and offer safe delivery for birth mother and child. Mr. Tusiime

The newly refurbished and equipped maternity ward plus operating theater in the Kalangala HC IV will enable the provision of quality health services that will aid the preservation of maternal-child health and general restoration of lives in the region.

The guest of Honor Mr. Richard Mugahi, Assistant Commissioner in charge of Reproductive and infant Health from Ministry of Health raved about MTN Uganda’s generosity in prioritizing maternal health and working to better communities by providing basic needs like access to better healthcare.

“We applaud MTN Uganda for their continued effort in supporting government initiatives that oversee the reduction of the soaring maternal and child mortality rate. We have seen a slight decline over the last 2 years and it is imperative that we stay the plans put in place to curb it.” He said

Mr. Mugahi retreated that the decline in mortality rates has reduced by 3.21% from last year and as government they commend institutions that have contributed to this decline such as MTN but urges the communities and health centers to remain vigilant in the struggle to end maternal and child mortality.

The operating theater and maternity ward were refurbished and equipped with machines such as the ultra sound, operating theater lights, oxygen concentrators, patient monitor for the theater, sterilizer, baby warmers and more. All these will be crucial in aiding safe delivery of babies and catering to patients during surgical procedures.

One of the biggest beneficiaries is the Kawempe National Referral hospital that garnered support in the amount of UGX 400 million which set up a state-of-the-art neonatal intensive care unit to collectively accommodate newborns.

MTN Uganda in realizing its commitment to support government and community initiatives embarked on implementing a 1.3 billion project called “Improving Maternal and Newborn Health outcomes”. This project has improved and enhanced the functionality of five health facilities which include Muyembe HC IV in Bulambuli district, Pakwach HC IV in Pakwach district, Karugutu HC IV in Ntoroko district and finally the newly commissioned facility in Kalangala district.