A mother and children in Rwamagana District using a smart phone, Photo: UNICEF/2024/Kabandana
MTN Rwanda and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Rwanda have entered a partnership aimed at promoting children’s rights, bridging the digital divide, and enhancing nutrition initiatives across Rwanda.
Both parties endorsed the partnership on December 12, 2024, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)- highlighting the power of private sector shared value partnerships in advancing the welfare of children and contributing to sustainable development.
Bridging the Digital Divide:
Rural pupils usinga a computer from the One Laptop per Child initiative intended to bridge the digital divide
Here, MTN Rwanda will provide free, zero-rated access to several Rwanda Education Board (REB) e-learning platforms, the online version of the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency’s flagship children’s programme, Itetero and the joint initiative between the Ministry of Youth and Arts, the Rwanda Development Board and UNICEF, Ingazi – Passport to Earning platform.
This will ensure equitable access to vital educational resources for children, teachers, and caregivers without incurring data costs. By bridging the digital divide, the partnership aims to reach over 1.5 million users, particularly in underserved and rural communities, fostering improved education outcomes and digital literacy.
Advancing Child Online Protection:
In addition, MTN Rwanda has committed a $25,000 grant to support research on children’s online experiences. The study will explore key topics such as online risks, parental involvement in fostering safe digital habits, and the broader online safety landscape, impacting over 3.4 million children who are currently enrolled in both primary and secondary schools. Research on child online protection will enhance digital safety for over 5 million Rwandan children between 0 – 17 years.
Supporting Nutrition Through the One Egg per Child Campaign
MTN Rwanda is also contributing to UNICEF’s flagship nutrition initiative, the One Egg per Child Campaign which supports the Government of Rwanda’s efforts to eradicate stunting among children through many other campaigns– most notably the Hehe n’Igwingira campaign.
These programs address malnutrition by providing one egg per child daily, targeting improved health outcomes, cognitive development, and school attendance. MTN’s financial and advocacy support is expected to significantly enhance the program’s impact.
Amplifying Advocacy Efforts:
MTN Rwanda will utilize its extensive marketing channels and creative resources to amplify UNICEF’s advocacy efforts. By promoting initiatives through social media, events, and customer engagement platforms, MTN aims to raise awareness and mobilize public support for children’s rights and nutrition programs.
Public awareness campaigns under this partnership are expected to reach over 4 million people nationwide.
What Does this Mean?
L-R: MTN Rwanda CEO, Mapula Bodibe and UNICEF Rwanda Country Representative, Julianna Lindsey
UNICEF Country Representative, Julianna Lindsey said that partnership with MTN Rwanda has been in the pipeline for some time groundbreaking MoU signing is a testament to the transformative potential of collaborations and possibilities but also in line with UNICEF’s vision to support the government achieve children’s rights in Rwanda.
Based on the rich knowledge that UNICEF has and the reach that MTN Rwanda has, Lindsey said that innovations such as zero-rating will make a difference reaching many people (everyone) in Rwanda.
“By combining resources, expertise, and shared values, we can drive meaningful change for children in Rwanda, ensuring they survive, thrive, and reach their full potential,” Lindsey said.
On the collaboration in research, Lindsey noted that this will help to understand the way children and youth use the internet- what they access, use social media for, who they talk to (and who contacts them).
She said that understand this with the data collected, it can be used to used (even by parents) to know what the children are using the internet for and stated that together, they will use that information to make sure children are accessing the internet for positive reasons.
Both parties endorsed the partnership MoU on December 12, 2024
“We want kids to be able to access educational opportunities, information, contact their friends but we also know that sometimes there can be negative things going on and we want children and parents to have information to prevent anything negative on the internet,” Lindsey said.
On ending stunting, through initiatives such as the |One egg per Child” campaign (initiated by UNICEF and partners like NCDA), Lindsey said that Rwandans receiving text messages aimed at educating them on the importance of eating eggs but also talk about the campaign during MTN Rwanda events across the country.
“This is a fabulous opportunity to get the message out regarding the importance of eating eggs, and we have seen so that by getting this message out, even without MTNs involvement before; we see an increase in consumption of eggs,” she said.
Adding that though this has not reached the intended goals, the involvement of MTN will push the campaign with a national reach to reduce stunting in Rwanda.
MTN Rwanda CEO, Mapula Bodibe said that as a telecom they have been inspired by the work done by UNICEF Rwanda of which MTN Rwanda can also play a role by leveraging their assets (digital) and impact in terms of driving a brighter future for children in Rwanda.
Bodibe stated that they are proud to collaborate with UNICEF Rwanda on an initiative that aligns closely with their core values at MTN Rwanda and that this collaboration supports the ongoing Help Children Be Children campaign, launched in 2022 (sponsored by the MTN Group CEO)- which highlights our commitment to ensuring safer online experiences for children as internet access expands across the country,
Bodibe said that by leveraging their resources and infrastructure, they aim to address critical issues such as digital access and online safety and additionally, this partnership will enable to tackle nutritional challenges, drive meaningful and lasting change to promote and uphold children’s rights.
“We are very pleased with this big milestone, because we believe we are taking a big step towards build a Rwanda where every child can learn, can dream and really thrive to reach their full potential,” Bodibe said.
UNICEF Rwanda has also previously entered into a similar partnership with Airtel Rwanda where students, teachers, and caregivers across Rwanda can now access up to nine educational platforms at no cost when using an Airtel sim card. These include the e-learning platforms for Rwanda Basic Education Board, Rwanda TVET Board, Rwanda Polytechnic, and University of Rwanda.
Through UNICEF’s inter-regional partnership with Airtel, “Reimagine Education”, thousands of schools across 13 countries in Africa are being connected to the internet. More than half of primary and secondary schools in Rwanda are not connected to the internet.
