DURBAN – MTN will hosts its 13th edition of 21 Days of Y’ello Care, an annual employee volunteerism programme which runs from 1 to 21 June across the company’s footprint.

MTN recognises the enormous potential that young people have to drive economic growth and help their communities to thrive.

Hence the company will continue with youth empowerment as its theme for the 2019 Y’ello Care campaign.

MTN Group Executive for Corporate Affairs, Nompilo Morafo said, “We believe that if we all join forces, youth empowerment can be realised and the prevalence of youth unemployment eradicated. Our goal for this year’s Y’ello Care programme is to do our part to support young people and help tackle various issues they face”.

Morafo added, “As the leading mobile operator in emerging markets and given our understanding of the transformative power of digital innovation, we constantly seek opportunities to connect people with technology, so that all our stakeholders can enjoy the dividends of the digital age. As we embark on the Forth Industrial Revolution, we wish to help equip the youth with the skills and knowledge they require to effectively prepare themselves for the digital future.” MTN Group Media release”.

Lagos, Nigeria – March 22nd, 2019: Banks only build branches, or so the story goes. Except for Guaranty Trust Bank Plc; the foremost African financial institution, which has been at the forefront of several innovative products and services, recently completed and opened the first digital playground for children in Nigeria.

Located in Lekki, Lagos State, the GTBank Play Centre is equipped with a wide range of interactive games that will give kids a fun and immersive digital experience whilst aiding their mental and intellectual development. Open from 10am to 3pm on Weekdays, and 10am to 1pm on Saturdays, some of the features of the Play Centre include the Sketch Town, where kids can design cars, launch rockets, and bring all their sketches to life. At the playground, children can also use the wide range of bricks available to build whatever excites their curiosity and also express themselves creatively by scribbling, writing and drawing on a digital chalkboard.

GTBank is renowned for designing innovative and personalized products and services that are tailored to customers’ unique needs and which fit seamlessly with their lifestyles. Recently, the Bank launched Habari, a digital platform that gives customers unlimited access to local and international music, and at the same time, allows them to shop online, split bills with friends and take care of their everyday needs, in one place. Habari, like the GTBank Play Centre, is the first of its kind in Nigeria, reflecting the Bank’s digital drive as well as its focus on creating unique experiences for all segments of its customer base.

Commenting on the launch of the Play Centre, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, Mr Segun Agbaje said; “How and where children play contributes significantly to their cognitive and intellectual development, helping them build better communication and problem-solving skills. Our new Play Centre will give children a tension-free space to build these critical developmental skills, expose them to new and emerging digital technologies, and, most importantly, give them a wonderful time out.”

He further stated that “At GTBank we are passionate about building the bank of the future, and for us, this means constantly leveraging the best of technology to create amazing digital experiences for all of our customers, in a way that adds real value to their lives.”

Guaranty Trust Bank is one of the best run African financial institutions and serves as a role model within the financial service industry due to its bias for world class corporate governance standards, excellent service quality and innovation. The Bank is also renowned for driving youth empowerment initiatives alongside its business, as seen with the GTCrea8 Account package, which doubles up as a platform for empowering young undergraduates with the resources and networking that they need to develop their skills and talents and build capacity in their careers of choice.

Lagos, Nigeria, March 22, 2019 – According to a 2017 joint report by WHO and UNICEF, 2.1 billion people lack safe drinking water at home, more than twice as many lack safe sanitation. Some 3 in 10 people worldwide, or 2.1 billion, lack access to safe, readily available water at home, and 6 in 10, or 4.5 billion, lack safely managed sanitation.

The implication of this is that these people are at risk of various water related diseases, many of which are fatal.  At the moment, only 61% of the people in sub-Saharan Africa have access to have access to clean water sources. Similarly, over 40% of all people globally that lack access to drinking water are in sub-Saharan Africa. In these areas, the burden of carrying water falls primarily on women and young girls who are forced to walk several miles in search of water.

The inadequacy of clean water sources have accounted for poor sanitation in the affected areas with rural areas topping the list. A vast majority of rural people still practice open defecation or lack adequate sanitation facilities. The consequences of such practices are very devastating for human health and the environment. Even in more developed areas where household toilets are readily available, a large number of the toilets are either connected to septic tanks that are not safely emptied or use other means that discharge sewage into open drains.

In line with its commitment to promote clean water sources and encourage good sanitation, Sahara Foundation is committed to the donation of boreholes in areas of need. The donation of these boreholes have contributed to the eradication of Guinea-worm disease in Nigeria and Ghana, an achievement which has fueled our desire to do more. We have also promoted good sanitation through the donation of public toilets in rural areas and provided training on how to maintain the facilities.

In alignment with the theme for this year’s World Water Day commemoration, Leaving No One Behind, Sahara Group adds her voice and support to the call for making safe water available for all. We support the human right of all to safe water. We remain committed to efforts geared towards making clean and safe water available to all including the marginalized and poor.

Happy World Water Day.

-SAHARA GROUP