COVID-19: How MTN plans to promote mask-wearing with #WearItForMe campaign
The last six months was a period of panic and uncertainty, the world dealt with a lot of challenges, but the COVID-19 pandemic definitely stood out, throwing the global community into a turmoil and lockdown of activities.
Amid the cloud of uncertainty brought upon the world by the pandemic, telecommunication giant MTN stood to help customers, government and healthcare workers.
As the world is emerging into the next phase of the pandemic – ease of lockdown and return to a new normal, MTN is, once again, adding its voice to global efforts to raise awareness about the importance of wearing masks to fight the spread of COVID-19 as it launches the #WearItForMe campaign across its markets on Monday August 31, 2020.
As society navigates the “new normal” brought about by the pandemic, wearing face coverings remains one of the most effective measures to slow its spread. However, many people refuse to wear them, while some wear them incorrectly, or still underestimate the importance of using a mask.
To help drive this new behaviour, MTN is committing its September 2020 marketing resources to encourage everyone to do more to save lives through the #WearItForMe campaign.
#WearItForMe is the second phase of MTN’s Y’ello Hope COVID-19 response initiative. It is a powerful call-to-action using the voices of some of the most influential people in our communities: mothers and mother-figures. They will send heartfelt messages to all the children of Africa to wear a mask and “wear it for me’’.
The campaign will build on MTN’s work carried out under Y’ello Hope to brighten lives and limit the impact of the pandemic, including through providing free data lifelines, zero-rated access to educational sites and using technology for contact tracing and information dissemination through the Africa COVID Communications and Information Platform.
In the first phase of MTN’s Y’ello Hope COVID-19 response initiative, over N1.4 billion worth of airtime, data and devices for connectivity support was donated to medical personnel and health agencies like the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) at the front line. The company had also donated N35 billion in cash and material to Nigeria’s fight against the virus while its customers have sent over 2 billion free text messages valued at more than N22 billion, as at May 31.
According to MTN’s incoming group president and CEO Ralph Mupita, “COVID-19 has had profound health and socio-economic impacts across the world. We empathise and mourn the lives lost to the pandemic. And even though the outbreak appears to be slowing in Africa, now is not the time to be complacent.”
He added that there is increasing evidence that masks can limit the spread of COVID-19, and eventually eliminate the disease if worn by 80-90% of the population.
With this evidence, Mupita said:
“we need to do what we can to make a meaningful difference. Wearing a mask is not only about protecting oneself, but about respecting and protecting others.”
“Wearing a mask is, of course, not the only thing we all need to do to slow the spread of the virus: regular handwashing and strict social distancing are just as important,” concludes Mupita.
The #WearItForMe campaign will run throughout September 2020. Subscribers can visit www.wearitfor.me to send a message to someone to encourage them to do the right thing.
