MTN Uganda, through its Foundation, has graduated 390 young people and women who completed digital skills training in Manafwa and Soroti districts, as the telecommunications company seeks to bridge the digital literacy gap in underserved communities.
The three-week programme, implemented in partnership with Maendeleo Foundation, provides basic technology training to communities with limited access to computers, internet connectivity and digital learning facilities.
The training covered basic computer operations, Microsoft applications, internet searches, online communication, responsible internet use and introductory artificial intelligence.
The graduation ceremony, held at Holy Family Catholic Church in Butiru, Manafwa District, marked the third graduation under the programme's sixth phase, following earlier ceremonies in Kampala and Pader District.
Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn
Speaking at the event, MTN Regional Business Manager Alan Njagala urged the graduates to put their newly acquired skills to practical use rather than treating their certificates as the end of their learning journey.
"To the graduates, do not take the certificate as the end of the journey. Apply the knowledge to improve livelihoods and create opportunities," Njagala said.
The graduates demonstrated their newly acquired skills through a competition, with outstanding performers receiving laptops, tablets, smartphones and MiFi devices to support continued learning and internet access.
The initiative uses the MTN Digital Bus, a mobile computer laboratory equipped with computers, internet connectivity and trainers, to deliver digital literacy training directly to communities.
The bus is stationed in a community for three weeks, during which participants receive practical instruction in basic digital skills.
Njagala said more than 7,000 young people and women had benefited from the programme since 2022, with completion rates exceeding 90 per cent.
"We are looking at the less privileged communities, especially women and youth," he said.
Maendeleo Foundation Co-founder and Executive Director Asia Kamukama said the initiative was responding to the growing shift towards digital services, with employment opportunities, business transactions and government services increasingly moving online.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
She warned that limited digital literacy could leave rural communities behind, estimating that nearly 75 per cent of people in communities reached by the programme had never used the internet, while some encountered a computer for the first time during the training.
"That is why we take free digital skills training directly to communities to ensure that any Ugandan, wherever they are, can benefit, whether they own a smartphone or can afford to pay for the training or not," Kamukama said.
Rev. Fr. Moses Kisaka, Chairperson of the Education Commission at Tororo Archdiocese, commended MTN for the initiative, noting the growing importance of digital technology in education and business.
However, he cautioned learners against abusing information and communication technology, describing it as a double-edged sword that could be harmful when misused.
Kisaka expressed concern about the misuse of digital platforms for immoral activities and gossip, urging participants to prioritise educational and productive uses of technology.
"For example, you have a phone that you should use to Google for knowledge, but instead you begin watching stupid things," he said.
He also challenged technology innovators to develop a mobile phone specifically designed for educational purposes, suggesting that MTN and Maendeleo Foundation explore a device with features restricted to learning activities that could be approved for use in schools.
The initiative comes amid Uganda's broader efforts to expand digital inclusion and develop a workforce equipped with the technology skills increasingly required in education, business and public service delivery.
