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In a historic visit to Uganda, former Airtel Africa Group CEO, Segun Ogunsanya took a trip to Kitende Secondary School, Entebbe in April 2023 to experience the fast Airtel internet used by the students, which formed part of his tour activities.
Mr Ongusanya retired from his Group CEO role in July, 2024, and took over another role as the Chair of the Airtel Africa Charitable Foundation to advance the social and digital agenda in key areas of financial and digital inclusion, education access, and environmental protection.
Kitende S.S is one of the many schools across Uganda connected to Airtel internet which is part of a joint commitment between the telecom and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to accelerate access to quality education to millions of children in Africa, through digital learning.
Speaking during a visit at the school, Ogunsanya stated that Airtel was deliberate in promoting education and empowering people, cognizant of its great value and contribution to nations across Africa
“Airtel Africa will continue to support the shared efforts of the Government of Uganda, by identifying and collaborating with strategic partners like UNICEF to transform the way our children learn. We commit to do this in Uganda and across the 13 other countries where Airtel Africa operates,” Ogunsanya pledged.
Ogunsanya urged the students to take good advantage of the resources through the partnership between Airtel Africa and UNICEF to further their academic pursuits in order to realize their dreams in life.
Airtel Africa and UNICEF launched the $57m 5-year partnership in 2021, to accelerate the roll-out of digital learning for children by connecting schools to the internet and ensuring free access to learning platforms in Uganda and other Airtel Operating Countries, to ensure that every child reaches their full potential.
In Uganda, 100 schools will be connected in the first 2 years, with the objective of reaching 54,750 students and teachers in primary and secondary schools across the country, with a particular focus on rural schools in the West Nile and Karamoja regions.
The telecom in partnership with UNICEF, has surpassed its target by connecting over 109 schools to the internet, benefiting more than 38,150 students and 1,635 teachers.
This transformative initiative has brought digital inclusion to the forefront of Uganda’s education landscape, and thereby harnessing the value from adopting technology driven learning and teaching that caters to various learners.
Airtel has also made other deliberate and sustained corporate social investments and innovations leading to continued growth in the economy and an even greater impact on the sustainable development goals agenda (SDGs).
One such investment is the UGX 260m in 14 public libraries powered by Airtel Internet, which has benefited over 108,000 people (students, pupils and adults in Uganda.
The initiative has benefited both in-school and out-of-school learners who are able to use basic to advanced internet skills to improve their learning and skills.
In 2022 alone, a total of 126 people were trained in basic ICT skills at the Mbale, Lira, Kabale and Kawempe public libraries, and others such as Buganda road, Pallisa, Jinja, Soroti, Hoima, Masindi, Paidha, Kabarole, Mbarara, Nakaseke.
Airtel is also making inroads in Uganda’s education sector under its program, ‘Airtel Cares- Adopt a School Program’ which essentially is aimed at improving the learning environment and improving the education outcomes of the pupils who attend school.
In the schools where this initiative is being implemented, the telecom has built sanitary facilities, undertaken major structural refurbishments, furnished the libraries and provided scholastic materials and book reading camps.
In many of these schools, life has indeed changed for the better. To give a perspective, Airtel has invested UGX 617m in the last 12 years in four adopted schools which include: Ndeeba COU Primary School- Kayunga; St Ponsiano Kyamula Primary School- Makindye; Nanfugaki Primary School- Iganga; Sseke Primary School- Lwengo.
More than 320,000 students have through the Airtel Internet powered ABSA Ready To Work program. Through this partnership, the youth who are at the university prepare for the work environment and business world through short engaging online learning.
Education is simply a subset of the four key pillars of Airtel’s grand vision for Africa aimed at transformation of lives.
Airtel’s Sustainability Agenda
Launched in October 2021, Airtel’s Sustainability Agenda is underpinned by programs and initiatives aimed at accelerating the reduction of barriers to safer, equitable society through four major pillars which include; digital and financial inclusion, business, people, environment and the community.
A closer look at the telecom’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) approach shows it’s firmly embedded in solving emerging challenges such as climate change, lack of access to quality health care services & education, poor infrastructure in rural areas that impact/affect digital communication and financial inclusion among others.
In the health space, Airtel Uganda has taken concrete steps to support the country’s health care system through the Airtel safe motherhood initiative. Notably, Airtel Uganda donated assorted health equipment to 13 health centers across the country, bolstering their capacity to provide quality care to expectant mothers and their babies.
This donation, aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality rates, underscores the telecom’s dedication to enhancing the well-being of Ugandan communities.
The Airtel Kabaka Birthday Run 11th Edition continues to be one of the major calendar events in Uganda. Concluded in April 2024, the event attracted over 110,000 runners rallying to support the End of HIV/AIDS by 2030.
This partnership with the Buganda Kingdom continues to bear fruit as HIV prevalence rates continue to go down. In 2023, the Uganda AIDS Commission reported, there was no single mother-to-child transmission case in the District of Mukono in Central Uganda. Airtel Uganda continues to support these efforts.
In its health outreaches, Airtel is running an award-winning safe motherhood program with a total investment of UGX 137m, and a reach of 23,000 people impacted across 15 health facilities in the country.
The safe motherhood program advocates for safe delivery in hospital, antenatal care for expectant mothers and training of midwives and nurses in basic obstetrics and on how to take care of the mother and their baby during pregnancy and after delivery; all to ensure that maternal and neonatal death is reduced significantly.
In its outreaches, the company has donated 3 mobile ultrasound probes at three hospitals.
The probe is connected to a smartphone and the mother/patient is able to have an ultrasound scan performed from anywhere due to the mobility of the ultrasound probe.
Through the program, more than 8,000 Mama Kits (1,120 for the year 2021) were distributed to mothers across the country.
In partnership with Uganda Muslim Medical Bureau, Airtel Uganda has also donated to 13 health center IIIs.
The donation consisted of delivery beds, oxygen filters, digital baby weighing scales among others. The average utilization of this equipment is 250 people.
Airtel also renovated and supported Kisaasi Church of Uganda Health Center IV and the maternal center; in addition to donating a water harvesting system and 500 Mama Kits to expectant mothers.
The company conducts a yearly blood donation drive with secondary schools going students contributing to more than 70 percent of donated/collected blood.
The telecom’s partnership with EzyAgric, the company has ensured digital access to verified, quality agricultural information that farmers use through dialing a USSD code to request for information, understand weather patterns, receive videos, sms and audios of how to plant and take care of their animals.
The initiative has benefited over 8,000 farmers who have accessed agricultural information through use of the Airtel Internet and an additional 98,000 people have accessed farming tips through the USSD code.
The telco’s active participation in public town hall meetings in Kampala and Kabale have ensured active communication with the public by discussing Airtel’s role in the sector, the plans for increasing digital inclusion and addressing service issues, especially those related to data usage.