MTN Ghana: Beyond Telecommunications and CSR – A humanitarian entity

In an era where heroes are easily forgotten and left to face whatever fate life throws at them, MTN Ghana continues to be an institution that leads the way in humanitarian activity.

Last week, the telecom giant – in an act of kindness – appreciated Madam Rita Tetteh with a furnished two-bedroom house. For those who may not remember, she is the lead actress in the iconic “me nsa aka oo” television ad that introduced the MobileMoney (MoMo) service to Ghanaians.

As MoMo gained ground over the years and that TV ad was replaced with updated versions, Madam Rita slowly faded from the memories of most Ghanaians – after all, life goes on. And considering the fast pace at which we live now, it’s only right to focus on what’s current and relevant to our daily living.

Thankfully, unlike most of us, MTN Ghana remembers and honours the people making (or who have made) significant contributions towards bettering our society – one of whom is Madam Rita Tetteh.

She is not the only person who has benefited from the telco’s humanitarian activities. The company, through its Bright Scholarship and Heroes of Change initiatives – among other such interventions – continues to impact the lives of ordinary Ghanaians positively.

I refer to MTN Ghana’s interventions as humanitarian acts rather than the regular Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for one thing: whereas CSR is a duty to which companies oblige mostly for the PR, humanitarian acts go the extra mile to establish a sustained positive impact in the lives of beneficiaries – a relationship. The latter is what MTN Ghana does.

Many ordinary Ghanaians dream of positively impacting the lives of others, but are restrained from doing so due to one thing or another. And that’s why I, for one, am proud to subscribe to a service provider that does humanitarian work on my behalf.

MTN Ghana must be commended for its many activities beyond its core telecommunications mandate. For a business entity to weave itself into the fabric of the Ghanaian experience, it takes deliberate effort to identify where one fits and the capacity in which one would play a role. 

MTN did not simply become Ghana’s biggest telecom service provider because of catchy slogans. It was a combined effort of innovative services and impactful social interventions that endeared this network to Ghanaians – easily positioning it above competitors.

This is not to say there are no flaws in MTN Ghana’s services, of course. There is much that can be improved upon for a better experience. The good thing is that MTN listens and takes action.

For a company to be as human-centred as MTN Ghana is, you can only attribute it to the people in charge of affairs. I guess it’s true when they assure customers that “we dey 4 u.” More of such, MTN… more of such realness.