HiPipo Money

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MTN Uganda has launched the schools e-learning platform in partnership with Gayaza High school. The team travelled to Mvara Secondary School in Arua which is the selected hub school for the Northern regions. This will open up vast opportunities for students in the North and West Nile to access relevant educational material on the internet.

The launch takes place as part of activities under the 21 days of Y’ello care, a 21 day long MTN staff volunteerism initiative in which employees across MTN’s international footprint take time off to physically get involved in activities that uplift communities around them through financial, physical and emotional contributions of staff and MTN as a corporate citizen.

The theme of this year’s activities is, “Investing in Education”, but with a special focus on ICT in education, which is coherent with MTN’s new vision, “To lead in the delivery of a bold new digital world to our customers.”

In line with this new vision, and as part of the activities for this year’s campaign, MTN Uganda in partnership with Gayaza High School launched an e-learning platform in June 2012 that enables students from schools across the country to access educational material from the recommended national syllabus as well as other relevant materials.

To win the scholarships, MTN and Gayaza are initially working with 50 participating schools that will be required to each register at least five students to take part in an on- line aptitude exam with 50 questions to be answered correctly within one hour and 15 minutes.

The aptitude test will be marked by the system and results provided instantly in real time. The tests will be done at regional hub schools where participating students and schools will converge on the 14^th June. On this day, mentorship and career guidance classes will also be conducted for participating students.

Anthony Katamba, MTN Uganda’s  GM corporate services said; that the e-learning platform is an initiative geared at impacting and empowering learners with in the country through improved electronic educational content and user enabling apps, considering that the whole world is now going online.

“At MTN, we believe in empowerment of the communities in various areas. Education is one such area which is very close to our hearts because of the direct link between improved literacy and the socio-economic status of any community. The partnership on this e-learning platform will therefore empower and enable students from all regions, both rural and urban, not only access quality education efficiently, but also improve their ICT knowledge, skills and exposure, along the way,” said Katamba.

Mvara SSS is the hub school for the north and West Nile, Gayaza high School for central, Mwiri College for Eastern, and Bweranyangi Girls School for Western.

The MTN Uganda Chief Marketing Officer, Ernst Fonternel said, “The funding of the project is solely dependent on contributions from MTN Staff who also physically get involved in the campaign activities. Leveraging on our regional presence across the country, the planned activities will allow a cross section of our staff to participate in this worthy Corporate Social Responsibility initiative. MTN Uganda firmly believes that ICT sector holds tremendous promise as an enabler of social development especially in Education”.

As part of a drive to generate positive content for the e-learning platform, MTN Uganda will also initiate a competition on its Facebook page with the objective of acquiring innovative content & applications to support the Uganda Schools eLearning platform. MTN has the largest local Facebook Fan base currently at 110,000 fans, a sufficient platform to generate relevant content based on defined criteria. 

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Kampala

Twenty one students from twenty one different schools around the country will each win a fully paid scholarship from MTN Uganda this year following the launch of the annual 21 days of Y’ello Care staff initiative.

21 days of Y’ello Care is an annual 21 day long MTN staff volunteerism initiative in which employees across MTN’s international footprint take time off to physically get involved in activities that uplift communities around them through financial, physical and emotional contributions of staff and MTN as a corporate citizen.

The theme this year is, “Investing in Education”, but with a special focus on ICT in education, which is coherent with MTN’s new vision, “To lead in the delivery of a bold new digital world to our customers.”

In line with this new vision, and as part of the activities for this year’s campaign, MTN Uganda in partnership with Gayaza High School launched an e-learning platform in June 2012 that enables students from schools across the country to access educational material from the recommended national syllabus as well as other relevant materials.

To win the scholarships, MTN and Gayaza are initially working with 50 participating schools that will be required to each register at least five students to take part in an on- line aptitude exam with 50 questions to be answered correctly within one hour and 15 minutes.

The aptitude test will be marked by the system and results provided instantly in real time. The tests will be done at regional hub schools where participating students and schools will converge on the 14^th June. On this day, mentorship and career guidance classes will also be conducted for participating students.

Anthony Katamba  MTN Uganda’s GM – Corporate Services explained that the e-learning platform is an initiative geared at impacting and empowering learners with in the country through improved electronic educational content and user enabling apps, considering that the whole world is now going online.

“At MTN, we believe in empowerment of the communities in various areas. Education is one such area which is very close to our hearts because of the direct link between improved literacy and the socio-economic status of any community. The partnership on this e-learning platform will therefore empower and enable students from all regions, both rural and urban, not only access quality education efficiently, but also improve their ICT knowledge, skills and exposure, along the way,” Katamba said.

The hub schools for the regional activations this year are Makerere College for central, Mwiri College for Eastern, Mvara Secondary School Northern and Bweranyangi Girls School for Western. The scholarships have been split equally among regions, to make 20, but with one additional special one to make the 21.

There will also be a two day workshop starting 6^th June to empower and equip head teachers and other key teachers from participating schools on e-learning change management as well as motivational speeches from the MTN senior management team.

The MTN Uganda CEO, Mazen Mroué said, “The funding of the project is solely dependent on contributions from MTN Staff who also physically get involved in the campaign activities. Leveraging on our regional presence across the country, the planned activities will allow a cross section of our staff to participate in this worthy Corporate Social Responsibility initiative. MTN Uganda firmly believes that ICT sector holds tremendous promise as an enabler of social development especially in Education”.

As part of a drive to generate positive content for the e-learning platform, MTN Uganda will also initiate a competition on its Facebook page with the objective of acquiring innovative content & applications to support the Uganda Schools eLearning platform. MTN has the largest local Facebook Fan base currently at 110,000 fans, a sufficient platform to generate relevant content based on defined criteria. 

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Bell Lager Unveils New Model in Sports Entertainment

……….as the Bell Fiesta promises to be a win for soccer and music fans in Uganda

The Bell Fiesta, scheduled to kick off in a big show at Legends Grounds represents the first ever soccer and music mix event in Uganda aimed at providing the ultimate experience to soccer and music lovers in an atmosphere of fun, competition and excitement.

It is an electrifying concept that involves various fun and challenging team and individual soccer activities like Timed Dribbling, Computer Football Gaming, Inflatable Goal Penalty Shootouts, Foosball and the ultimate thriller – Human Football Table.

Human Table Foosball is a twist to the classic game of football played in a giant life size inflatable version of the old classic Table Football (Foosball) bar game and is one of the most exciting competitive games.

People will get together into teams of 7 and hold onto bars that will limit their movements, much like what we see in foosball. The trick is to use teamwork to win even with these restrictions; it’s fun at its best.

“This is part of Bell Lager’s commitment to deliver to our consumers a creative form of recreation in a world that’s increasingly busy and mundane; we are giving everybody out there something new and fun to look forward to,” said Grace Nshemeire-Gwaku, Uganda Breweries Limited Marketing Director.

Scheduled to be held in over 20 locations in Kampala and selected towns around the country, it is anticipated that over 20,000 spectators and participants will descend on the various Bell Fiesta venues put their teamwork to the test in fun filled evening events.

Uganda’s soccer fans will be treated to an opportunity to become a real-life soccer action figure and compete against your friends in a fun-filled experience

“The Bell Fiesta features more than just the thrilling sports competition and music,” says Robert Nsibirwa, Bell Lager Brand Manager. “It will immerse attendees into the Bell Nation’s electrifying music and entertainment culture.”

Those attending will enjoy captivating music performances from local artists, good food, halftime dancers and cheerleaders, an after party with a live DJ and the chance to win many prizes and giveaways with complements from Bell Lager.

“It is great games, it is great fun and it is 100% Bell Lager,” says Robert. Join in and be part of something amazing!”

 “We want to encourage as many people as possible people from across the country to participate in Bell Fiesta. We are confident that the event will be a fantastic day out with a great program for both sports and music enthusiasts,” added Grace Nshemeire-Gwaku.

In the Bell Nation anything is possible, good times last longer, friendships grow stronger, plans are made and the future shines bright. Sport and Football in particular play a significant role in bringing people together, breaking down barriers and helping people to see and appreciate different perspectives which expounds on the larger Bell Nation Campaign.

The inaugural Bell Fiesta will build on the inclusive nature of football while at the same time provide a platform for people from all backgrounds living to interact, celebrate the rich diversity around them while taking part in the beautiful game.

Entrance to the Bell Fiesta events will be free. 

Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the company will continue to innovate and has more game-changing products ahead. Today in a keynote conversation at the D11 Conference, Cook said the same people who brought you the iPhone, iPad, iPod, and maybe even the Mac will have new products coming soon.

Two weeks ahead of Apple’s own Worldwide Developers Conference, speculation has grown about new hardware that could be released at the conference, as well as updates to Apple’s mobile and tablet developer platform with the upcoming release of iOS 7.

“Many people now say that innovation means a new category,” Tim Cook said. “Yes, we’re still a company that’s going to do that… We have some incredible plans that we’ve been working on for a while.”

When pressed on the future of TV, Cook declined to talk about any future products, but he said that there’s a big opportunity to offer a more compelling experience there. Apple has now sold more than 13 million Apple TV devices, about half of which during the past year. But there’s still more that can be done, according to Cook.

“When you look at the TV experience, it’s not an experience that people love,” Cook said. “It’s not an experience that’s been brought up to date for this decade.”

Credit: http://techcrunch.com

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MultiChoice Africa, a pioneer of pay television in Africa with an unmatched track record of over two decades of investment in the continent is very proud to announce its partnership with the African Union, a successor of the Organisation of African Unity – bringing Africans in over 50 countries across the continent, the 50^th anniversary celebrations of the OAU/AU on both DStv and GOtv.

As a proudly African company, MultiChoice understands its responsibility as a corporate citizen – that solutions to Africa’s prosperity should come from within. Providing sustainable solutions to the continent’s growth story requires a loyalty from its people, to share common goals as Africans and further the greater African agenda. Committed to the development of the continent, over the years MultiChoice Africa has invested extensively in local content because of its inherent belief in creating a vibrant cultural identity and healthy economies.

MultiChoice is devoted to promoting Africa, its successes and the aspirations of its people by collaborating with talented local film makers who create authentic stories of their lives. With Nollywood now an industry worth no less than $250 million, it was years ago that MultiChoice fully realized the power of storytelling and the unifying factor of the commonality of their stories. The growing impact of the Africa Magic channels across Africa is proof indeed that individual identity is transcended by finding common ground.

As a champion of regional integration and social cohesion, through its investment in the M-Net and SuperSport channels, MultiChoice has achieved great strides in the development of original African programming; the growth of local sporting leagues as well as showcasing the best quality productions across the continent. It has grown its local content offering to 7 quality premium channels including the popular Africa Magic channels which are accessible to the entire continent.

Its agenda will be no different to that of the AU on Saturday, the 25^th May, when MultiChoice Africa will be celebrating pan Africanism and the African Renaissance, bringing to television screens a world-class spectacle. As 74 Heads of States and Governments from AU member states come together for the celebrations, all of Africa will share the significance of Addis Ababa as a spiritual and political home of the OAU/AU since its inception in 1963.  On this day, inspired by a common identity, indigenous ideology and the quest for continental unity, the OAU sought to harmonise policies and co- ordinate action across and between its signatory states, as an initial step to realize a united Africa.

Pleased with the media partnership agreement with the AU, CEO of MultiChoice Africa, Nico Meyer said: “This partnership is particularly significant because of our common appreciation and love for this continent. As MultiChoice, we recognise Africa’s potential and we are firmly committed to nurturing it. Our investments have brought social and economic benefits to the communities in which we operate through partnerships and job creation. Partnering with the various free-to air channels across the continent, to broadcast this momentous occasion, is an undeniably exciting moment – bringing the AU to the people. We would like to congratulate the OAU/AU for 50 years of promoting African unity.

Additionally MultiChoice is providing a service to Free to Air broadcasters across the continent to receive footage of the celebrations free of charge as a service to Africa. Tune into DStv and GOtv on channels 197 and 99 respectively to share in Africa’s greatest moment.

Addis Ababa May 24, 2013:

In a Continental first GOtv, will be bringing audiences across Africa LIVE coverage of the 50^th Anniversary of the OAU / AU from Addis Ababa on Saturday 25 May, 2013.

The celebratory events, which is expected to attract 74 Heads of States and Governments from AU member states, will be broadcast on GOtv channel 99 from 07:00 CAT using the latest generation Digital Video Broadcast standard – DVB-T2 to audiences.

Nico Meyer – CEO of MultiChoice Africa said “MultiChoice is in line with the AU’s mandate, which is to promote an integrated and prosperous continent driven by its own citizens, MultiChoice through GOtv as a proud citizen of the African continent is wholly committed to the development of Africa and its people.”

GOtv, available in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe operates on DVB-T2 technology which represents one of the most advanced DTT broadcast systems and infrastructure established on the continent, but in the rest of the world to date; and leapfrogs the outdated DVB-T1 (or ISDB-T) systems. This puts Africa at the forefront of technology in the DTT space.

So tune in on Saturday 25 May witness as the continent comes together for the celebrations, all of Africa will share the significance of Addis Ababa as a spiritual and political home of the OAU/AU since its inception in 1963.  On this day, inspired by a common identity, indigenous ideology and the quest for continental unity, the OAU sought to harmonise policies and co-ordinate action across and between its signatory states, as an initial step to realize a united Africa.

Don’t miss this African milestone celebrations LIVE on channel 99 on GOtv and GOtv Plus from 07:00 CAT. Additionally MultiChoice is providing a service to Free to Air broadcasters across the continent to receive footage of the celebrations free of charge as a service to Africa.