Aug 01, 2012 at 10:34pm

The review process has begun for the scripts received for MTN Ghana Foundation’s essay competition. This follows a three-week period that gave interested pre-tertiary students all over the country an opportunity to enter into an essay competition with the ultimate aim of winning a GH¢ 10,000.00 scholarship award to fund their tertiary education.

The MTN 10 million Merit Award Scheme was launched in May 2012 and offers a scholarship package totaling GH¢ 100,000.00 for 10 brilliant and needy students who have applied to 10 pre-selected public tertiary institutions nationwide. This merit award forms part of the package to acknowledge subscribers for their loyalty to the MTN brand following MTN’s 10 million subscriber milestone attained in 2011.

Participants wrote an essay on the topic “How to manage refuse in Ghana while motivating citizens to keep their environment clean.”

Submission of entries spanned a three week period between 8th and 29th June 2012. A total of Four hundred and seventy-two (472) entries were received from all the ten regions of Ghana. Out of this total number, twenty-two (22) of the entries were rejected as they fell short of the rules of the competition. A three week period has been assigned for the review of the scripts by four judges.

The Executive Secretary of MTN Ghana Foundation, Mr. Robert Kuzoe said, “we are on course with our schedule for the essay competition which will lead to the award of scholarships to 10 pre-tertiary students to further their education. The top 100 scripts will be initially selected after all the entries have been marked.

Out of the top 100, the best 30 participants would be invited for a sit-in examination and interview to enable the judges select the final 10 winners. Details of entrants who qualify for the final interview and that of the overall winners of the competition will be made available in print and electronic media.”

Commenting on the project, Mrs. Cynthia Lumor, the Executive Director of MTN Ghana Foundation said, “MTN is committed to the promotion of academic excellence. We hope this competition will help revive and sharpen the writing skills of students. We will continue to explore other innovative ways of helping to bring out the best in our youth to enable them contribute meaningfully to society“.

Beneficiaries will be selected to attend Sunyani, Ho, Bolgatanga, Wa and Koforidua Polytechnics. The other institutions include the Universities of Ghana, Cape Coast, Development Studies, Mines and KNUST.

MTN Ghana Foundation inherited an existing scholarship scheme which was instituted in 2000 by Spacefon. In all about one thousand one hundred and fifty (1,150) students from basic school to the tertiary level have benefitted from the scheme. The 10 million Subscriber Merit Award offers another opportunity for more students to benefit from an MTN-funded educational package.

MTN Foundation is the vehicle used by MTN Ghana to undertake corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in support of communities around the country. Since its establishment in 2007, the MTN Ghana Foundation has invested about seven million Ghana cedis into community development projects.

Education has been one of the focus areas of MTN’s CSR activities. in addition to putting up school blocks for about 13 communities, 10 ICT Centers are being set up in all 10 regions of Ghana, three of which have already been commissioned and in use. Some health projects implemented include support to the Korle Bu Maternity Block, the Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital and the provision of medical equipment to Kotokuom, Shama, Atebie and KNUST Government hospitals.


By: citifmonline.com/Ghana