Vodacom Mozambique officially launched the Vodacom Mozambique Foundation. The opening ceremony was led by the CEO of Vodacom Mozambique, Lucas Chachine, and included speeches by Dr. Hermenegildo Gamito, CEO of the Vodacom Foundation, and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ambrósio Sitoe, representing the Government.
During his speech, Vodacom’s CEO said that the launch of the Vodacom Foundation represents the culmination of 20 years of Vodacom’s history in Mozambique, marking the company’s corporate journey and also reflecting its commitment to sustainable and inclusive development in Mozambique.
To this end, Lucas Chachine announced that Vodacom will disburse 1% of its revenue annually to the foundation’s programs, whose mission is to be a catalyst for change, focusing on the areas of education, health, economic empowerment, the environment and humanitarian assistance.
“The creation of this foundation is an unequivocal response to the challenge of positively transforming people’s lives through our connectivity, technology and innovation,” he said.
For his part, Hermenegildo Gamito, PCA of the Vodacom Foundation reiterated that education has the power to open doors, broaden horizons and transform lives, which is why Vodacom is committed to creating accessible, quality opportunities for everyone, regardless of their origin or circumstance.
“Today, through Faz Crescer, implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Education, more than 745,000 secondary school students and teachers benefit from free connectivity, access to computer labs and digital classrooms. We train teachers and mentors, train young girls in programming and offer 60 scholarships to train young women in digital areas,” said Hermenegildo Gamito.
In addition, the PCA of the Vodacom Foundation referred to the company’s support for health projects, through the Goodbye Malaria program, the results of which point to the protection of around 2 million people from malaria every year, through intra-household spraying campaigns.
“In recent years, we have donated more than 100 tons of various products as humanitarian aid to people displaced by cyclones and violence in Cabo Delgado. We are also restoring some educational institutions, such as the Guara-Guara Secondary School in Sofala, one of the many affected by Cyclone Idai,” he said.
Representing the Mozambican government, Ambrósio Sitoe acknowledged Vodacom Mozambique’s contribution to the expansion of the national mobile phone network and the introduction of services and solutions that have changed the way Mozambicans do business and relate to each other.
“Throughout its history in Mozambique, Vodacom has led the way in innovation and the search for solutions to the needs of its customers, which has guaranteed it leadership in the preference of users of voice communications, data and mobile portfolios, among other services provided by this operator,” acknowledged Ambrósio Sitoe.
The launch of the Vodacom Mozambique Foundation represents Vodacom’s commitment to responding to society’s most pressing challenges, in essential areas such as education, health, economic empowerment and environmental sustainability, contributing to building a better future for Mozambicans.
