MTN Uganda and its partners have today donated digital equipment and vocational tools to the Busoga Kingdom, reaffirming their commitment to bridging the country’s digital divide and empowering youth through practical skills development.
The support, part of MTN’s annual 21 Days of Y’ello Care volunteerism campaign, was received by Busoga Kingdom’s Second Deputy Prime Minister, Osman Noor Ahmed on behalf of the Kingdom at the Inebantu Alice Mulooki Memorial Library and ICT Centre in Jinja.
The donation included ten computers with one-year internet subscriptions, ten tailoring machines, ten hairdressing kits, and water-harvesting tanks to support kitchen gardening initiatives. The intervention aims to enhance digital literacy and create income-generating opportunities for teenage mothers and young women, while also improving household food security within the region.
MTN Uganda’s female staff also took part in a football match with teenage mothers, aimed at breaking stigma, empowering the young women, and raising awareness about the prevention of teenage pregnancy in the kingdom.
“We greatly thank MTN for its continued support in empowering our young people with the tools and skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world,” said Ahmed during the event. “This partnership strengthens Busoga’s commitment to youth development and resilience through technology and training.”
This initiative comes at a critical time, as Busoga faces one of Uganda’s highest teenage pregnancy rates, estimated at over 30% among adolescent girls, according to the Ministry of Health—while digital access remains low across Uganda, with only 10% of the rural population owning or able to use a computer, and just 27% regularly going online, according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics.
Juliet Kakayi Nsubuga, Managing Director of Bayobab Uganda, an MTN Uganda affiliate, described the initiative as part of a broader agenda for digital inclusion.
“Connectivity is no longer a luxury but a necessity,” she said. “Our partnership with Busoga reflects a commitment to inclusive growth through expanded access to digital infrastructure and knowledge.”
Nsubuga said the vocational tools, backed up with connectivity, form part of MTN’s broader strategy to reduce economic vulnerability among young women by equipping them with employable skills that promote independence.
This is the second time Busoga has benefited from MTN’s Y’ello Care campaign. In 2016, MTN donated 20 computers to the same centre, resources that have since helped equip thousands of learners with essential digital skills. The 2025 campaign, themed “Connecting at the Roots – Connecting Communities through Digital Tools,” builds on that foundation and extends support across five regions.
Beyond Busoga, MTN Uganda is implementing similar projects nationwide. In Kampala, it is partnering with the Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to tackle urban youth unemployment through the Kabalagala Youth Centre. In the Greater Central region, specifically Luwero District, MTN is working with the Nnabagereka Development Foundation to promote youth-led agribusiness initiatives. In northern Uganda, collaboration with the Ker Alur Kingdom focuses on addressing teenage pregnancy through digital reproductive health education, while in western Uganda, MTN hopes to support the Tooro Kingdom to advance digital tourism and raise awareness about HIV/AIDS prevention.
The campaign, worth UGX 500 million, is being implemented in partnership with various organisations including the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, MTN Mobile Money Uganda Ltd, Bayobab, Maendeleo Foundation, AYO Uganda, Roofings Group, Transsion, Xeno Investment, and AYO.
Launched in 2007, the 21 Days of Y’ello Care campaign mobilises MTN staff across Africa each June to volunteer their time and expertise in community service. The initiative closely aligns with MTN Uganda’s Ambition 2025 strategy, which places digital and financial inclusion at the heart of its vision for sustainable national development.
