New Asafo Pupils Sensitized on Gender-Based Violence as MTN Foundation Deepens National Campaign

The MTN Ghana Foundation has intensified its nationwide advocacy against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) with a powerful educational engagement at the New Asafo Basic and Junior High School in the Asokwa Municipality of Kumasi. The outreach forms part of MTN Group’s annual campaign, launched in November 2024, to mark the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, observed from 25 November to 10 December each year.

MTN’s renewed effort aims to reach schools and communities with prevention-focused education, encouraging the public to commit to a violence-free society.

Addressing pupils during the sensitization session, George Kyei Frimpong, Education Portfolio Advisor for the MTN Foundation, reaffirmed the organization’s strong stance on issues of abuse.

“MTN abhors any form of violence, especially gender-based violence. The sensitization is essentially for people to desist from it,” he stressed.

Frimpong explained that MTN’s objective is to nurture respectful learning environments, where pupils—particularly boys—are taught the value of dignity, equality, and non-discrimination. He urged the learners to reject harmful attitudes toward girls and instead cultivate behaviors that promote mutual respect.

He also highlighted the growing trend of cyberbullying among children and teenagers, noting that young girls are increasingly targeted on social media platforms. Such online abuse, he said, does not only inflict emotional damage but can also influence harmful behavior in real-life interactions.

As part of the activity, MTN organized a debate on the motion: “Teaching boys and girls the same content will prevent violence.”

The competition saw the girls’ team argue convincingly that equal education nurtures discipline and mutual understanding. They won the contest with 842 points, narrowly beating the boys’ 820 points.

To further support the school, MTN presented branded souvenirs to participants and donated tablets and other essential ICT equipment to enhance teaching and learning in the school’s computer laboratory.

Frimpong emphasized that the decision to focus on basic schools stems from the belief that early education is the strongest tool for reshaping attitudes toward violence.

“We target younger pupils so they grow up understanding that gender-based violence is unacceptable and must never be tolerated,” he noted.

The New Asafo engagement forms part of a broader series of MTN-led sensitizations taking place across various regions of Ghana, reaffirming the Foundation’s commitment to building safer, inclusive communities for children and families.