MTN Uganda, USSIA partner to support Mukono Skilling Centre

MUKONO, UGANDA: Telecom giants MTN Uganda in partnership with Uganda Small Scale Industries Association has donated equipment including a bread mixer, baking table, baking raw materials, computers and internet connectivity for year worth shillings 10 million to Mulungi Confectionary and Skilling Center in Mukono District in the ongoing 21 Days of Y’ello Care campaign to boost their growth potential.

The telecom’s staff participated in cleaning in Seeta, a peri-urban centre located along the Kampala-Jinja Highway and Namilyango road in Mukono District. They also trained the women groups in personal branding, digital marketing, financial literacy and customer relationship for micro and small-scale enterprises.

MTN established the 21 Days of Y’ello Care initiative in 2007 to allow its employees to directly contribute to the communities in which they live and work.

However, this year’s campaign will run for 25 days instead of the usual 21 days in commemoration of MTN Uganda’s 25th anniversary.

Kenneth Kiddu, the General Manager Business Intelligence at MTN Uganda said MTN’s support of Mulungi Confectionary and Skilling Center is in fulfilment of its aspiration of championing African entrepreneurs and the communities.

“Entrepreneurship has a ripple effect, with successful entrepreneurs contributing to local capacity, self-reliance, job creation, and infrastructure development,” he said.

“By focusing on African entrepreneurs, we help build a more prosperous future for the entire continent.”

Kiddu said MTN Uganda is committed to transforming the lives of communities in which it operates leveraging information and communication technologies.

This comes as statistics from the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development show though the country’s private sector offers the highest job opportunities, it also experiences the highest mortality rates. This slows down job creation and the country’s social-economic transformation.

Janat Nakitto, the founder of Mulungi Confectionary and Skilling Center thanked MTN Uganda for extending support to the confectionary firm.

“I have been producing cakes for small functions such as birthday parties but with this support, I am now going to start supplying to supermarkets,” she said.

Nakitto said she is now looking forward to an increase in monthly revenue target from the current shillings 4 million.

This year’s campaign is supporting 8 groups across various sectors including agriculture, digital financial services and fashion and design.

So far, three groups have received MTN support including King of Kings Multi-Investment and Consultancy Farms Ltd in Kitgum, Teso Textile Light Dynamics in Soroti City and Disability Employment Link Project Uganda based in Bwaise, Kampala.

MTN Uganda employees have over the years been involved in tens of initiatives in the communities through the 21 Days of Y’ello Care to boost their production capacity and transform their lives and that of their communities.