VODAFONE VOTES £200,000 FOR FOUNDATION (page 20)

VODAFONE, formerly Ghana Telecom (GT), has voted an initial seed capital of £200,000 for the establishment of a foundation to be christened “Vodafone Ghana Foundation”.
The foundation, which would be launched this year, is aimed among other things, at helping to protect the natural environment, supporting local communities in which customers, employees, investors and suppliers of the company live and sharing the benefits of developments in mobile communications technology as widely as possible.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Vodafone Ghana, Mr David Venn, made this known when he paid a courtesy call on the Omanhene of the Sunyani Traditional Area, Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri II, at his palace in Sunyani.
On behalf of Vodafone Ghana, Mr Venn presented a cheque for GH¢3,000 to the Sunyanihene to support the development of education in his traditional area.
He said the company would advertise for proposals from the public in due course in view of the establishment of the foundation, adding that it was a way of giving back to the society and the communities in which the company operated.
Mr Venn further disclosed that within the past few weeks, the company had undertaken a number of investments both in infrastructure and people, in order to infuse greater efficiency into its operations and offer its customers the global excellence that Vodafone was famous for.
"From its humble beginnings in 1982, Vodafone has grown to become the world’s largest telecommunications company with operations in 26 countries and partner networks in 40 countries," he said, adding that the company had more than 70,000 employees and 290 million customers worldwide.
Mr Venn stated that since the arrival of Vodafone in the country in August, 2008, it had deployed new technology and introduced innovative world-class products and services to the Ghanaian market.
The company’s mobile network, he said, was currently recognised by industry observers and astute customers as the best quality network in Ghana.
Mr Venn said that was achieved through the execution of a planned and deliberate re-development and investment strategy, adding that the same strategy was being replicated across the country and in areas with Vodafone coverage in the Brong Ahafo Region.
According to him, the people could testify to the exceptional quality of the network since the launch of the Vodafone brand in Ghana.
Mr Venn said the company had always maintained a special relationship with the people of Brong Ahafo, adding that when no network was prepared to serve the region, GT stepped forward and provided mobile communication services for the people.
“We intend to deepen this special relationship with the region by extending our coverage to several parts where we are not available,” he stated.
In his response, Nana Nkrawiri reiterated the appeal of the traditional council to GT (now Vodafone) to construct a modern edifice to be christened ‘Vodafone House’ in place of an old office built through communal labour by the people of Sunyani in 1927.
The old building, he said, had been pulled down by the company to make way for the new one to match up with the Cocoa House, which is currently the highest building in the region with an elevator to befit the current status of the municipality.
Nana Nkrawiri expressed his appreciation to the CEO and his entourage for the visit and urged the company to replicate here its unique and quality services it offered in other countries.