The Ministry of Public Works and Transport, in collaboration with MTN Eswatini, has made strides in improving road access to Mabhawu Primary School under the telecommunications company’s 21 Days of Yellow Care initiative.
Speaking on site, Mthunzi Fakudze, the Senior Road Engineer for Hhohho District, expressed his appreciation for MTN’s involvement. The challenge was with the equipment as it needed a lot of maintenance to operate. “but we had the great pleasure to work with MTN, who came on board and gave a helping hand,” he said.
Fakudze highlighted how MTN assisted with fuel and manpower, ensuring that the project could proceed smoothly. They had organised the equipment they had to work with and now everything was progressing well stating that they hoped that MTN would continue helping them and others that were in need as the road that stretched 4km Will now benefit the whole community.
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Sibusiso Nhleko, MTN’s Head of Corporate Services, emphasized the alignment between this year’s theme, connecting at the Roots through Digital Platforms and the road project. As they saw the importance of addressing the most basic need road access so that the teachers who worked there were able to arrive to school on time.
“This road will truly help in serving the community and its people since now they will be able to travel freely without any obstructions,” Nhleko said.
MTN partnered with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, providing manual labour from its finance department and contributing E50, 000 worth of resources including petrol, diesel, and water.
“We are excited with the progress we’ve seen so far,” he said.
Muzi Simelane, Head Teacher at Mabhawu Primary School, shared how the poor road conditions had previously affected school operations. Teachers would miss classes during rainy days due to slippery roads, which lead to them going for two months without receiving their food supplies from the government.
“The two days that they have been here building the road I can see great improvement,” Simelane said.
Simelane also mentioned that the school had experienced network issues, which were promptly addressed by MTN after a call for assistance.
Norman, MTN’s Chief Financial Officer, explained that the initiative was part of the company’s commitment to community development. “We came here today to give a helping hand. The finance team even downed tools to come in numbers and clear road sides leading to the school,” he said.
