By DOH JAMES SONKEY
The leader of the telecommunications sector in Cameroon, MTN Cameroon through its Foundation will today, June 1, 2020 launch a nationwide campaign aimed at supporting communities, schools, media associations with hygiene and sanitation items to fight against COVID-19.
Speaking via an online press conference last May 29, 2020 in prelude to the official launching of the caravan, the General Manager Regulatory and Corporate Affairs at MTN Cameroon, Jean Melvin Akam explained that the caravan baptised “Y’ello Hope” will offer their Foundation the opportunity to assist teachers, councils, hospitals, callbox operators etc in the fight against the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic.
He explained that MTN Cameroon through its Foundation has since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Cameroon been at the forefront of the fight, supporting the Ministry of Public Health by offering free calls to some 330 telephone numbers of health staff, the setting up of the first COVID-19 test Centre in Yaounde, assisting the Presidency, Ministry of Communication, Ministry of Public Health in sending more than three (3) million COVID-19 sensitisation messages to telephone users as well as the zero rating of educational websites to facilitate learning when classes were temporarily suspended as a means to reducing the spread of the virus.
In prelude to the launch of the caravan, MTN Foundation supported a digital concert last May 30, 2020, organised by Stanley Enow featuring other artists such as Locko, Tenor, Salatiel etc, to sensitise Cameroonians on the fact that the lessening of barrier measures by the government does not mean that COVID-19 has been conquered, as contamination continues.
While calling on all their clients to remain vigilant, Jean Melvin Akam rejoiced that special preventive measures taken by MTN Cameroon to protect its staff and clients against COVID-19 have paid off, “as none of our staff has been contaminated within MTN offices all over Cameroon”, Akam noted