MTN volunteers and OIC students sewing the uniforms
AS PART of the MTN Ghana Y’ello Care initiative, a volunteerism campaign that seeks to drive meaningful change across communities nationwide, a group of volunteers joined fashion students of the Opportunities and Industrialisation Centre (OIC) in producing school uniforms.
The school uniforms, comprising approximately 500 pieces, is intended to be donated to needy schools in the Central Region of the country.
Addressing journalists in a brief interview, Education Portfolio Advisor at MTN Ghana, Ebenezer Terpkeh, indicated that the employees’ engagement with the students is to help the students, mentor them, and teach them skills, to empower them.
“We don’t just want to give them opportunities without guidance. We’re doing this to ensure they get involved in the activities and learn from them. We’re teaching them that finishing is key, especially in the fashion industry, where attention to detail is often lacking. We want them to develop a taste for quality work,” he said.
Mr. Terpkeh further added that the initiative will also train young persons in social media and mobile marketing, content creation, and smart education, including how to effectively use the internet.
“We’ll introduce them to MTN apps and other education-focused apps, and encourage them to register. Additionally, we’re engaging with farmers and exploring the concept of a ‘smart farm’ through AgriConnect, a project currently taking place in the North. We aim to infuse technology into their existing activities,” he stressed.
Ahead of the volunteers’ engagement with the fashion students, Mr. Terpkeh added that they visited the classrooms to motivate students and introduce them to emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), highlighting how they can apply their skills in innovative ways.
“The goal is to embed a passion for technology and learning in these young minds. We’ve observed the students actively engaged in the sewing process, with our volunteers participating alongside them. We’re excited to see the impact of this initiative and explore opportunities to expand it to more places,” he added.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke