The What Can We Do Together (WCWDT) initiative by MTN Foundation has put smiles on the faces of millions of Nigerians within the last eight years. The initiative has helped to foster grassroots community development via cooperative effort across 586 communities in 530 Local Government Areas (LGAs), impacting the lives of close to three million Nigerians.
The initiative launched in 2015 partners with community members across the country to provide much-needed amenities such as, installations of solar-powered boreholes, provision of household items to orphanages, provision of school learning materials, renovation and equipping of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) and set-up of ICT laboratories in public secondary schools.
The WCWDT initiative is unique because it is structured to allow Nigerians to nominate communities to benefit from select projects. The initiative is a testament to the power of collaboration and demonstrates that together, we can make a difference in the lives of those around us.
The first two phases of the campaign saw 400 communities in 347 local government areas benefiting from the initiative, with 40 communities receiving 500KVA transformers and another 40 receiving 650ft boreholes. The first two phases also saw the supply of medical equipment to 80 primary healthcare centers, provision of school furniture sets to 174 schools, and household supplies and equipment to 66 orphanages in different communities in Nigeria.
The third phase of the campaign, launched in 2018, received nominations from over 300,000 communities. During the third phase, the WCWDT initiative focused on providing medical equipment and upgrading Primary Healthcare Centers, installing solar boreholes, and setting up ICT labs with 585 computers in 29 public secondary schools in Nigeria. School learning materials were also provided to over 15,000 pupils in 60 primary schools.
The fourth phase saw the upgrade of 12 Primary Healthcare Centers and supply of medical equipment in collaboration with NCDC and NPHCDA. Nominators for the initiative were drawn from communities in Ekiti, Ondo, FCT, Kano, Ogun, Delta, Rivers, Osun, Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states among several others.
As the fifth phase of the campaign commences, MTN Foundation is calling on well-meaning Nigerians to nominate communities to receive upgraded Primary Healthcare Centers. To nominate a community, nominators are required to text MTN to 421, and respond to subsequent questions free of charge (for MTN subscribers) or visit www.mtn.ng/wcwdt to get started.
Overall, MTN Foundation is dedicated to improving society while generating economic value through its initiatives in the areas of education, infrastructure, and training. Through this initiative, the foundation will continue to support and improve the quality of lives of Nigerians.