MTN Rwanda and Rwanda Union of the Blind host inaugural ‘Dinner in the Dark’

As part of MTN Rwandacell PLC’s commitment under its ‘Twese’ Initiative, to leave no one behind, MTN Rwanda hosted a ‘Dinner in the Dark’ in partnership with the Rwanda Union of the Blind in a bid to raise awareness and celebrate the designated week and the international week for the blind as well as fundraise for white canes, which are key for the blind community.

The event was hosted at the Marriot hotel and in addition to the fundraising efforts for the white canes, it provided a unique experience for invited guests to temporarily live in the world of the blind, by participating in the dinner wearing a blindfold. It also allowed for the celebration and acknowledgment of the diversity of the communities we live in.

The dinner was part of the bigger initiative at the core of MTN Rwanda’s belief that everyone deserves the benefit of a modern connected world. The Company’s Twese program was first introduced a year ago in partnership with NUDOR (National Union of Disability Organisations of Rwanda) with the aim of recognizing that more could be done in making MTN’s service and products more accessible to persons living with disabilities as well as finding ways to raise awareness and support the initiatives of the different organizations.

Through this initiative, MTN introduced sign language interpretation in its TV advertisements, launched a Service Centre with lowered desks for customers with wheelchairs, provided kiosks and capital to two agents with disabilities in each district, reserved a spot in its Global Graduate program for a person living with disabilities, introduced video calling feature in its Call Centre for deaf customers to be able to access support directly, and this year, selected Service Centre staff completed a three month sign language training course.

The newly appointed CEO of MTN Rwanda, Mapula Bodibe, shared her thoughts ahead of the event saying, ‘We are proud to partner with RUB on this first-of-its-kind event in Rwanda and look forward to sharing this experience with some of our key stakeholders and partners. Diversity and inclusion are a key priority under the ESG pillar of our Ambition 2025, and we do not take lightly the importance of ensuring everyone is included as we move forward on our digital journey.’