Veronica Nyakuol guided the MTN team through the winding paths of Mangaten Internally Displaced Persons camp, walking past temporary shelters housing over 3,000 residents forced from their homes. As the eldest of seven children and an International Relations student, she carries both her family’s aspirations and the potential that digital connectivity could bring to Mangaten – and to displaced communities throughout South Sudan.

Having lost her father and her home to the recurring conflicts in South Sudan, Veronica’s family has been since headed by her mother who sells charcoal to make ends meet. The 22-year old makes and sells liquid soap to her neighbors – not just to survive, but to pay for her education and support her family’s dreams.

Veronica’s personal story gave purpose to MTN South Sudan’s 21 Days of Y’ello Care – whose theme was “Connecting at the Roots”. The 21-day period focused on providing technology and tools that transformed lives at the very foundation, and Veronica represented the untapped potential in South Sudan’s most underserved communities.

MTN’s 21-day Days of Y’ello Care community initiative (June 1-21, 2025) brought digital connectivity, internet access and educational resources to four previously unconnected South Sudanese communities: Mangaten, Gorom, Rerekat, and Sherikat. MTN employees, led by their Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mapula Bodibe, volunteered their expertise to create lasting change by providing access to connectivity, reliable internet, smartphone devices and digital skills training to ensure these communities can participate in the digital economy.

At Mangaten camp, MTN built a solar-powered tech hub fitted with computers, internet access, , educational online resources and five charging stations. Inaugurated by Mapula Bodibe, the CEO, the facility now enables residents such as Veronica to access online education and health, access digital resources for ecommerce, supported by mobile money services, and participate in comprehensive digital literacy training,  enabling connectivity for over 3,000 displaced persons.

“MTN South Sudan is working hard to bridge the digital divide that has left too many South Sudanese behind. When we connect communities like Mangaten, we are not just providing internet access, we are enabling digital and financial inclusion for micro-businesses, improving communication networks, expanding e-learning opportunities, and delivering connectivity solutions to those who need them most,” said Mapula Bodibe, MTN South Sudan CEO. “This is why MTN exists – to ensure that every South Sudanese, regardless of where they live, can benefit from a modern connected life.”

For Veronica’s family, digital inclusion means transformation for her mother’s charcoal business from a local venture to one with expanded reach outside the camp. It means easy communication with her family that had to relocate due to ongoing conflicts. And It means simplified access for Veronica to online courses and research for her International Relations degree.

“I used to struggle with my school assignments. I had trouble researching, writing and submitting on time. In fact, once I missed out on a scholarship because I was unable to meet the submission deadline. With full access to the internet at the camp, I think I’ll always be the first to submit my assignments,” said Veronica.

But this goes beyond one family. Mangaten camp will become a connected community where residents can access mobile health services, children can learn through e-platforms, and small businesses can flourish through digital inclusion.

The transformation at Mangaten reflects a broader digital awakening across South Sudan’s most remote communities. At Gorom Refugee Camp, MTN staff installed solar powered equipment, working alongside refugees who received hands-on training in mobile money services. The camp’s residents, many of whom had never used digital financial services, learned to navigate MoMo transactions that will fundamentally change their daily lives.

In Sherikat, MTN staff facilitated comprehensive training sessions for teachers and students from various educational institutions, introducing them to the Internet of Good Things – a free platform that offers essential information on health, education, and empowerment. Participants connected in real-time to explore the platform, while receiving practical mobile money training that empowered them to confidently navigate digital financial services for the first time.

The ripple effects extended throughout the region as community members became digital ambassadors in their own right. The 100 smartphones distributed to household heads, combined with extensive training on digital financial services, equipped families with tools that extended far beyond basic connectivity.

Across all four communities – with close to 40,000 residents in total – the comprehensive approach to digital and financial inclusion created lasting change that went beyond infrastructure. MTN’s 21 Days of Y’ello Care proved that meaningful connectivity can be achieved by empowering individuals with both the access and skills to transform their own circumstances.

True to MTN’s mandate of connecting communities and enabling digital transformation, the initiative created a model for sustainable impact that could be replicated throughout South Sudan’s most underserved regions, ensuring that no community is left behind in the digital age.