Thumbs up for all the great CSR projects
Everybody knows businesses are there to make profit, but all over the world forward-thinking ones engage in various forms of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to benefit society.
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While some businesses undertake CSR occasionally, others have made it the core of their operations and dutifully carry it out without fail.
In our part of the world where incomes are generally low and many communities lack basic amenities, CSR input from corporate outfits goes a long way to help bring cheer and hope to citizens.
Education is a key contributor to overall development and so we are glad about whatever educational schemes are put in place by various companies to help bring enlightenment to our people.
We are particularly enthused about the keen interest the MTN Ghana Foundation has taken in education-related matters. It is noteworthy that the foundation has carried out over 135 major projects across the country. Significantly, more than half of those projects are in the area of education across the country.
The projects involve the building of classrooms, dormitories, libraries and other forms of infrastructure, the setting up of scholarship schemes, provision of computers and Internet connection to schools, support for the celebration of the National Best Teacher Awards, provision of nutritious food for children in several localities across Ghana, among others.
These are laudable feats and we give the thumbs up to MTN Ghana for its special interest in education-related matters. It is an extremely useful form of CSR which the nation needs urgently.
It is a wise move to invest in education because nations thrive on the back of that. All the scientific probes into space, medical discoveries, great literature and many other relevant intellectual endeavours are undertaken by highly educated people.
We are aware of the many educational trust funds in our system and the contributions of other telecommunications companies and individuals to help boost education in this country.
The sweet thing is that young people who get good education through the efforts of the various corporate bodies, trust funds and individuals often become role models for their peers.
So in a sense, the benefactors do not only spend money to put people through school but also indirectly act as sources of inspiration to many young people.
There are many awards schemes in this country and we are glad that one of them, the Ghana CSR Excellence Awards, is dedicated to assessing the impact of CSR in the land. Businesses are empowering millions of people through different approaches to CSR and they deserve some pat on the back.
We encourage businesses involved with different kinds of CSR to continue to put adequate resources into their projects. They are definitely making invaluable contributions to our national development.
It is our fervent wish that communities that benefit from appropriate CSR activities take good care of the projects.
In the same way, individuals who are helped to attain their academic dreams must find ways to help pull others up.