MTN Zambia Donates to the Save the Children Emergency School Feeding programme
Thank you to MTN Zambia for donating K100,000 (USD 5,506) to the Save the Children Emergency School Feeding Programme.
Speaking when receiving the donation in the presence of the Ministry of General Education Permanent Secretary Dr. Kalumba, the Save the Children Zambia Country Direcor - Mrs. Jo Musonda said: "The impacts of school closures as a result of Covid-19 extend beyond interference in education – they also carry other risks to marginalised children and children from low-income households, because many rely on school meals to support their daily nutrition and to help them concentrate and be able to learn. Before and during the Covid-19 outbreak, the Government of Zambia, Save the Children and other partners have been responding to the food insecurity crisis in parts of Southern and Western provinces through the implementation of the Emergency School Feeding Program."
Mrs Jo Musonda also used the occasion to call for increased public investment in social protection programming: "While we appreciate support from private sector such as MTN, as the 2020 national budget is realigned and planning for the 2020 national budget starts, we call for more public investment in child sensitive social protection including increased budgetary allocation to programmes such as the school feeding programme. In the immediate term, government should ensure that child-sensitive cash transfers and vouchers are distributed to the poorest families and schools in rural areas and, where possible, aligned with a longer-term government strategy on social protection."
Speaking when he presented the cheque to Save the Children, MTN Zambia Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Bart Hofker said, "At MTN Zambia, improving the quality of education for the children in our communities is close to our heart because we believe that education is the hope for the development of our country. We are committing ourselves to provide One Hundred Thousand Kwacha (ZMW100,000.00) to enhance the operations of the Save the Children Emergency School Feeding program for this year. I am aware that this program caters to the needs of over thirty thousand (30,000) school children in Zambia. Allow me to commend the team at Save the Children for the wonderful work you are doing to serve the vulnerable children in our communities."
Speaking at the handover event, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of General Education - Dr. Jobbicks Kalumba stated: "As government, we take keen interest in initiatives such as this one which promote collaboration between corporate entities and international organisations such as MTN Zambia and Save the Children to contribute to the delivery of quality education in our Zambian schools. This resonates well with our national focus of ensuring that no one is left behind. Well done to MTN Zambia and Save the Children for this partnership. May this be the start of a long and fruitful partnership between these two institutions and I look forward to seeing the fruits of the seeds we are planting today."
An estimated 5,033 children in Gwembe District will directly benefit for a period of 60 school days from the MTN Zambia donation through the planned procurement of maize grain. The phrase “we are in this together” has never had more meaning and we thank MTN for showing that they are in this with us and the Zambian children.
