MTN Fights Malaria in Y’ello Care Programme

MTN staff will this year lend their support to national efforts to stem the scourge of malaria in Nigeria through their annual staff volunteerism programme, 21 Days of Y’ello Care. The programme which will run from May 1 to 21, 2010 will take place simultaneously in all parts of Nigeria where MTN has offices and personnel.
This is the fourth edition of the programme initiated in 2007 by the MTN Group to encourage staff of the company in all its 21 operations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East to volunteer their resources, time and skills to help others and the communities they live and work in.
The programme usually held in the month of June is holding a month earlier this year on account of the FIFA World Cup, which is taking place for the first time on the African continent in June. The focus of the staff volunteerism programme is also consistent with the FIFA World Cup challenge of kicking out malaria from Africa. The MTN Group is a sponsor of 2010 FIFA World Cup.
“Another season of 21 Days of Y’ello Care offers us an opportunity to lend our support to general efforts to kick out malaria from Nigeria, and indeed Africa,” said Wale Goodluck, corporate services executive, MTN. “Malaria is responsible for nearly one million deaths a year in Africa (90 percent of them children under five years). This explains why the scourge of malaria is the target of a spirited campaign in which MTN will use the momentum of the 2010 FIFA World Cup to save human lives. 21 Days of Y’ello Care 2010 fits snugly into this campaign.”
According to him, the unique staff volunteerism programme has for four years offered a unique platform to get MTN staff personally involved in showing love, care and attention to the people and the environment they work and live in. He said the programme is consistent with MTN’s commitment to contributing to the socio-economic well being of its host communities.
Two teams have been created to ensure the success of this year’s edition of 21 Days of Y’ello Care, namely:  Team Educate and Team Eradicate. MTN staff members are free to join any of the two teams in a number of activities ranging from conducting awareness seminars on malaria and other health issues, to carrying out environmental sanitation exercises aimed at improving the quality of life in the communities.
Staff members will also be visiting and donating assorted household utilities, including insecticide-treated mosquito nets, to the less privileged in orphanages, hospices and other related institutions across the country. Huge yellow baskets have also been placed at convenient locations in all the company’s offices nationwide for staff members to drop personal effects that they no longer need, but which can be of tremendous value to less privileged members of the society. 
From painting classrooms, to counselling teenagers and striking special friendships, more than 1,800 employees of MTN Nigeria volunteered to participate in over 145 activities over 21 days in 2009.
“We have no doubt that we will spread more hope and cheer in the communities and make profound impact on the lives of our people during this year’s edition of 21 Days of Y’ello Care,” said Goodluck.