MTN SA Foundation adapts annual staff volunteerism programme to drive COVID-19 relief, enable SMEs

The MTN SA Foundation has redesigned its annual staff volunteerism programme to help mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on impoverished communities. It will also leverage MTN’s resources to impart much-needed skills and ICT expertise, to help keep SMEs afloat.

The initiative, formerly known as ‘21 Days of Y’ello Care’, normally runs between 1 and 21 June each year. Under the new banner of ‘Y’ello Care’, the programme has been extended to take place during the full months of June and July. The theme for 2020 is ‘Restoring dignity to our communities in these trying times’.

“Over the next two months, the MTN SA Foundation will mobilise employees across the country to focus their volunteerism efforts on three main areas, namely health, food and water security,” says Kusile Mtunzi-Hairwadzi, General Manager of the MTN SA Foundation.

Prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, the South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (SANHANES) revealed that 26% of the population was actually facing hunger, with a further 28% at risk. COVID-19 has undoubtedly worsened food insecurity and hunger in South Africa.

Regular washing of hands with soap and running water has been identified as one of the most effective precautions to prevent COVID-19 infection. However, despite milestones achieved in broadening access to clean running water, the Department of Water Affairs conceded that 3.7% of households still fetch water from rivers, streams, dams, wells and springs.

The availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) is also cited as one of the most effective precautions that South Africans should take to prevent transmission of the virus. However, the country continues to face PPE shortages, with stock availability being hampered by export restrictions, increased costs and disruptions in logistics.

To protect MTN volunteers as the programme rolls out, they will be required to work with established MTN SA Foundation-vetted non-profit organisations, that are already active within the communities selected to benefit from the programme.

In the spirit of doing good together and enabling other businesses and SMEs during these tough times, the MTN SA Foundation will rely on courier or logistics companies to deliver the required goods or services, while ensuring prescribed social distancing and hygiene measures are adhered to.

“The triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment have been intensified by the pandemic, and the impact continues to be far-reaching. In addition to supporting a range of government-led relief efforts over the past few months, we felt that it made sense to rally our employees to make a personal contribution during this difficult time. We also believed that it would assist to extend our annual programme so that we have more time in which to do more,” says Mtunzi-Hairwadzi.

The second part of the 2020 Y’ello Care programme will focus on providing virtual support to SMEs that are being crippled by the restrictions on trade resulting from the lockdown.

According to figures released by Stats SA in March, more than nine million people were employed by SMEs. In a business context, this sector is bearing the brunt of the pandemic, with the South African Reserve Bank estimating 1 600 additional SME insolvencies this year.

It was with this in mind that the MTN SA Foundation committed to identifying SMEs that employees can support from a skills transfer perspective. This includes knowledge sharing in various disciplines related to running a business, including ICT, accounting and auditing, research and marketing, the drafting of legal contracts, Web design, developing social media strategy, and other sets of competencies.

“In the world of business, it is SMEs that are being the hardest hit. Their ability to continue to operate is severely being put to the test. We believe that access to particular skill sets, like ICT and digital marketing, will become critical tools needed to survive. We also believe that this part of the programme will not only give the beneficiary SMEs a lifeline, but that it will assist in creating new job opportunities – helping to drive our economy forward when we come out on the other side,” concludes Mtunzi-Hairwadzi.