MTN launches 1GOAL sms campaign

MTN, starting this week, launched a month-long sms campaign throughout its operations in Africa and the Middle East aimed at garnering global support for the 1GOAL: Education for All initiative. The 1GOAL campaign seeks to accelerate access to education to 72 million children worldwide by 2015.

1GOAL, a 2010 FIFA World Cup legacy project, is supported by MTN, FIFA, the GSM Association, other mobile operators, global football stars, educational champions and charities.

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The sms campaign by MTN will run from 1 May to 31 July and will be available to over 123 million MTN subscribers in Africa and the Middle East. MTN subscribers can show their support for 1GOAL for free by texting their names to the short code in accordance with their country of residence.

1GOAL will then deliver the millions of names collected through the campaign to the governments ahead of the next United Nations meeting on Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in September 2010.

Details of campaign will be communicated in each country either by sms or Please Call Me tag messages.

Non-MTN subscribers can sign up for the 1GOAL campaign on www.join1goal.org.

Lasting legacy

Said Nozipho January-Bardill, MTN Group executive corporate affairs: “As a company that is firmly rooted in Africa, MTN is acutely aware of the importance of education as a catalyst for socio-economic development. Through 1GOAL, MTN seeks to leverage its sponsorship of the 2010 FIFA World Cup to foster access to education and leave a lasting legacy that will endure long after the tournament.”

World leaders that have expressed their support of the 1GOAL campaign include United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-Moon, South African President Jacob Zuma, Ghanaian President John Atta Mills, Queen Rania of Jordan and FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

Footballers and celebrities who have thrown their weight behind the campaign include Portugal's legend Eusébio, retired French footballer Zinedine Zidane, England manager Fabio Capello, Bafana Bafana captain Aaron Mokoena, renowned philanthropist and musician Bono, pop sensations Kelly Rowlands and Shakira.